'Improving' Olivier Giroud more clinical this season, says Per Mertesacker

Per Mertesacker believes Olivier Giroud is more clinical this season and brings a physicality that could prove crucial in Arsenal's Premier League title challenge.

Giroud has nine goals in his last nine appearances after striking twice in Arsenal's 3-3 draw at Liverpool on Wednesday, and the striker is only two short of his tally of 14 league goals from last season.

The club had been linked with a new striker over the summer, but speaking to Sky Sports News HQ ahead of Arsenal's trip to Stoke City on Super Sunday, Mertesacker said the club always believed Giroud had the ability to lead a championship-calibre attack.

"When he started at Arsenal you could see he had great potential," Mertesacker said. "He has the physique to compete and he brings his style to our game in the box with his heading.

"He's getting more clinical and that is what we need. That is why he has improved, we have never underestimated him and we always believed in him.

"He shows that he can score goals and you need a goalscorer in a championship team, someone who scores 20-plus times and he is on that way. Hopefully we can feed him even more now because the belief in him is big."

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The Gunners travel to the Britannia Stadium on Sunday looking for a seventh away league win of the season, but Arsene Wenger's side have a poor recent record at Stoke.

Potters boss Mark Hughes is unbeaten in his last seven home league matches against Wenger with five different clubs, while Arsenal have won just one of their last seven games at the Britannia.

"We struggle traditionally [at Stoke]," Mertesacker continued. "We couldn't find our game there for a couple of years. We were down 3-0 at half-time last year, but the second half we played much better so we must focus.

Under Hughes, Stoke have won praise for a possession-based style, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri, Bojan Krkic and Marko Arnautovic responsible for an expansive attacking game.

They've beaten Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United at home, and Mertesacker is anticipating another tough game on Sunday.

"They have changed their game-plan slightly," Mertesacker said. "It's not kick-and-rush anymore and they don't depend on the wind. They play really well, and they've played some good teams at home and won.

"We look back at the Man City game for example, and they played very well with a good possession game. [But] we have a chance to turn it around and win there, and that would give us a great lift for the last couple of months."

The Gunners could welcome Alexis Sanchez back from injury this weekend, and in one of the tightest title races in recent years, Mertesacker believes the Chilean's return could make a telling difference.

He said: "We have a got players out with injury, but the spirit of the team is top. I think the cohesion and the togetherness is at its best. 

"When there was a lot of injured players almost nobody spoke about it, which is always a good indication when those that step up bring energy. There was no complaint at all from the team, and that's why I have a good feeling we deserve to be [where we are] right now.

"It's massive for us, when he [Sanchez] comes back from injury it will give great energy offensively and defensively. In the defining moments of games, he can make the difference.

"That is what we are looking forward to. We are still a good squad and players stepped up while he was injured so the manager has a great selection now and that gives the team a boost."