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Wenger’s masterstroke! Dropping Giroud has made him one of the best, says

Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini says his teammate Olivier Giroud has responded well to being dropped for Theo Walcott this season, as per Goal. Greeks started the game brighter with few chances at in the first 15 minutes but they couldn’t take advantage of them and Petr Cech saved every shot they had.

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The 66-year-old also reiterated that Walcott and Giroud can play together in the same line-up as was the case against Olympiacos on Wednesday, but feels that the scenario changes when Alexis Sanchez is available for selection.

“We will have a good rest and open the new page of the Champions League in February”.

“If you look at the number of goals he has scored you have to give him credit”, Wenger said (as quoted by the guardian).

“Competition makes players stronger and that is what happened [to Giroud]”. “Monaco, obviously, we didn’t respect them at all”.

“If we get the likes of Wolfsburg, we’ve played them in the Emirates Cup but it will be a completely different ball game”. Wenger admitted that Ollie is very very good at what he does in certain situations. “I think I will have to do that again because it is so demanding now and he has a game that demands a lot of energy, that sometimes you need a breather in that squad”.

“You have Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham so it would have been a little Premier League competition and we are happy to stay where we are”. You’ve seen teams struggle when they should go through and should be winning. It is just the way it is now.

“We want to go as far as we can”. It is the spirit that we can push on and improve. “He’s a guy who keeps working for the team and yes I think he’s among the best strikers in Europe”. So whoever we play, we will give 100 per cent. Wednesday was one of his best performances on all fronts.

Former Montpellier striker Giroud has come in for criticism from some quarters for his sometimes erratic finishing, which many believe prevents him from being considered in the top pantheon of modern strikers.

“I have only had two training sessions so it is all about matches”.

Aaron Ramsey laid on Giroud’s opening goal, sending a cross to the near-post having been picked out by a tremendous pass from Mesut Ozil.

I for one am very pleased that Giroud has forced his way back into the team.

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“It is a very exciting time for me, personally”. We had the chance to prove to everyone that we have the qualities of being a top team in the Champions League. The improvement of the teams that do not fight for the championship but can consistently beat the teams that do fight for it.

Arsenal's Olivier Giroud celebrates with the matchball after scoring a hat trick at the end of the Group F match against Olympiacos of UEFA Champions League in the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium Piraeus Greece