Olivier Giroud is answering his critics with goals according to Arsene Wenger

Olivier Giroud is proving the sceptics wrong and steering Arsenal, who face holders Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League, towards what may be their best season of modern times, according to club manager Arsene Wenger.

Watford moved up to seventh place, four points below the Champions League spots, after Odion Ighalo’s 10th goal of the campaign secured a 1-0 win at Sunderland, while West Ham United drew 0-0 at home to Stoke City. Rooted to the foot of the Premier League, Villa rarely threatened Petr Cech’s goal, the Arsenal ‘ keeper finishing with another clean sheet which now equals David James record of 169 games. It will be an interesting one but we at least can recover first and prepare then.

“I knew that Villa were fighting for survival, so it was important to take the lead against a team low in confidence”.

“I feel the referee took a long time to make his decision for the penalty (awarded for a foul on Theo Walcott by Alan Hutton), but probably it was a fair one in the end”.

Arsenal started with the same side which featured in their midweek Champions League 3-0 in over Olympiakos, and even the substitutes bench remained the same, with Joel Campbell keeping his starting place ahead of the now fully fit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Wenger knows he can expect an industrious performance from his player, but this season Giroud has raised his game. “When they come back into the middle again, they are better players”.

“[Criticisms may be because] he doesn’t have electric pace, he prefers to play with his back to goal and bring others in, so he’s maybe not spectacular individually. Mentally he is very strong”. “We are struggling, I still haven’t won a game and I’m very frustrated but I know in football you can change things with work”. Before his recent scoring run, the Frenchman was known more for his hairstyle, numerous tattoos, endorsing Hugo Boss fragrances and the fact that he was named the English Premier League’s (EPL) sexiest player.

Chelsea, the pre-season title favourites, are occupying 16th position with their latest defeat to Leicester City being their ninth league loss already – six more than in the entire previous campaign. “This is an opportunity for us to find that consistency”. Now we have games that we have to win against direct opponents. Yes that’s right, it was Arsenal and we didn’t just edge past them, we beat them 5-2.

Speaking at a live Q&A at Facebook London, Henry said: “The real test and what I want to see if how Arsenal cope with Man City, how they cope stopping them on the counter if they come and sit”.