Arsene Wenger believes Olivier Giroud is one of a dying breed of physical strikers who relish the aerial battle.
The France striker has been in outstanding form, and scored his ninth and 10th goals of the season in the 2-0 win against Southampton on Saturday.
Wenger is delighted with the 27-year-old’s impact, but says there are not many of Giroud's type in the Premier League any more.
"Today we educate more on the ground. Maybe we pay a bit of a price of having less people who are ready to go for this kind of [aerial] ball"
Arsene Wenger
“I like his play," said Wenger. “He has improved his link play with the other players, he is dangerous in every single game. Is he the best in his type of play? I like what he does.
“There is plenty of this type of player, [but] you had more before. If you go back to the 1960s and '70s and look at the strikers who were good in the air and English, [they were at] every single club.
“And tell me now today have you got same number? I’m not even talking about quality, but have you got the same number who go in for crosses, go in the air?
“We teach more play on the ground, we have better training pitches. Before, even in the games in the 1950s, you had to lift the ball and bump it forward and you needed somebody who could fight for the ball.
“Today we educate more on the ground. Maybe we pay a bit of a price of having less people who are ready to go for this kind of [aerial] ball.”
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