Arsenal star Olivier Giroud Reveals his toughest opponents in EPL so far

Speaking to the official Arsenal magazine, the 28-year-old pinpointed Chelsea’s Gary Cahill and Stoke’s Ryan Shawcross as the toughest defenders he has had to play against.

‘You can always tell early in a game if it’s going to be a physical one,’ said Giroud.

‘But saying that, in the Premier League you tell yourself that you will have to fight in every single game anyway. Whether it’s Stoke or Chelsea, every side has strong defenders.

‘It’s always a big battle, and it’s very interesting but sometimes you feel it’s a bit much.

‘But yeah, I enjoy the battle, it’s always correct and with fair play and at the end of the game we always shake hands and say well done. So it’s always done in a good mood.

‘Especially with Gary Cahill at Chelsea it’s always a tough battle, very physical, and with people like Ryan Shawcross too. They are very strong, and play a lot with their bodies so it’s always nice to compete with them.’