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Arsene Wenger reckons Olivier Giroud is strong enough to carry Arsenal's title hopes on his shoulders.

Manager Wenger paid tribute to his French countryman and compared him to the Gunners' title-winning centre forward Alan Smith.

Fit-again Giroud returns from a two-match absence to spearhead the Londoners' attack at Aston Villa on Monday, and Wenger is relying on him heavily because of the club's injury crisis.

Giroud has missed only two Premier League games all season and has DEMANDED to play even when Wenger and Arsenal's medical staff feared he was injured.

The France centre-forward is back from a horrific-looking foot injury suffered at Newcastle last month when Toon defender Mike Williamson landed on his foot, split Giroud's boot and inflicting a gaping wound that needed five stitches.

But Giroud played on with the injury, scored the winner and was not happy with Wenger when he was substituted before the end.

That is why Wenger believes the 27-year-old can shoulder the weight of expectation even if Arsenal do not dip into the transfer market with Theo Walcott out for the season and Nicklas Bendtner for at least another three weeks.

It would be a major gamble, but Wenger says he can bank on eight-goal Giroud as Arsenal look to avenge their disastrous opening day defeat to Aston Villa.

Arsenal fans were baying for blood back in August after Villa won 3-1 at the Emirates and because of the lack of a big-name striker signing. But Giroud has been a superstar in his own right.

"People always want new names," said Wenger. "What is important for us is that he [Giroud] is back. He was a bit tired recently but now he is refreshed, he is back, and I am sure he will have a major impact on the second part of the season.

"When you speak to the coaches after the game, they say 'Oh, what a player he is'. He has qualities the rest of the squad haven't got. He always gives us that strength. I compare him to Alan Smith in the way he holds the ball up, distribution and goalscoring.

"We have small players who combine quickly, so to find someone who can hold it, keep the ball, make some room for other players... He does that very well. He gives us a very good balance.

"He's a tough, tough boy. Even when the medical people say he should rest, he says, 'I'm alright.' He needed five stitches after the game at Newcastle. He played the whole game at Newcastle with an open ankle and without complaining. And when I took him off, he didn't want to come off!

"He's tough. He's always ready for a fight even when he's tired. I was always there thinking, 'I have to rest him, I have to rest him, I have to rest him.' Then, on the Friday night, I always changed my mind!"

(Image: Getty)

Wenger was in the hunt for a big-name striker last summer, when he tried to sign Liverpool's Luis Suarez, and is also expected to make more ambitious moves to bring in an expensive centre-forward at the end of the current campaign.

But he insists that, despite Arsenal pursuing other targets, they were never looking to replace Giroud who, by comparison, was a mere snip at £11million from Montpellier in 2012.

Wenger conceded it would be a gamble to rely on Giroud for the rest of the campaign but insists any signing would not be to replace him.

"I looked for a striker last summer that could play with Giroud and without Giroud," said Wenger. "In my mind, it was not absolutely to replace Giroud, it was to play with or without him. After, we took Ozil, who is a bit off-the-striker. But we could have taken someone who plays up front and play in a 4-4-2.

"I think he suffered a little bit when Theo Walcott was out - in his goalscoring. Walcott gets the crosses in and we played more inside. When Walcott is there, he gives us more width and more penetration on the flanks and Giroud takes advantage of his crosses.

"He suffered a bit more when Walcott was not there, so we have to play with some width. But I think Serge Gnabry and Lukas Podolski can do that."

Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Probable teams

Aston Villa Guzan; Bacuna, Lowton, Clark, Luna, Albrighton, Delph, Westwood, Weimann, Agbonlahor, Benteke.

Arsenal Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Wilshere, Ozil; Gnabry, Cazorla, Giroud.