Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is delighted with the gutsy attitude of centre-forward Olivier Giroud.
Wenger likened Giroud to former Arsenal striker Alan Smith and praised the resilience of a player who is "always ready for a fight, even when he's tired".
The Arsenal manager said: "He's a tough, tough boy. Even when the medical people say he should rest, he says: 'I'm all right'.
"He needed five stitches after the game at Newcastle, but he played the whole game a with an open ankle and without complaining. And when I took him off, he didn't want to come off! He's tough.
"I was always thinking: "I have to rest him." Then on Friday night, I always changed my mind."
