Three things we learnt from Swansea’s heavy defeat to Arsenal

Add as preferred source on Google

Arsenal ensured that Paul Clement’s first Premier League match in charge of Swansea City ended miserably after the Gunners ran out comfortable 4-0 winners at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

The result, which sees Arsene Wenger’s side leapfrog top four rivals Manchester City and Liverpool for at least 24 hours, saw two own goals scored in a Premier League game for the first time since October 2014 as Arsenal romped to victory.

Embed from Getty Images

Jack Cork and Kyle Naughton were the unlucky culprits on this occasion, with these goals sandwiched between a first-half opener for Olivier Giroud and an Alexis Sanchez effort.

Arsenal now sit only a point behind Tottenham in second place, whilst Swansea remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

The Boot Room takes a look at three things we learnt from Paul Clement’s debut defeat.

When Giroud starts, Giroud scores

Cometh the hour, cometh the man – Olivier Giroud has been in fine form this season for Arsenal, and once again he came up with the goods for the Gunners as he set the ball rolling in their routine victory at the Liberty Stadium.

With this goal the 30-year-old forward has now scored in each of his last nine starts for Arsenal, scoring eleven goals, in a run dating back to April 2016.

Embed from Getty Images

After this latest run of exceptional form in front of goal, it seems absurd to look back and think that he didn’t start any of Arsenal’s first nine Premier League matches this season; yet since being awarded a place in the starting line-up over the festive period, Giroud has now scored in four consecutive Premier League matches, including vital goals against West Brom and Bournemouth.

Not only that, but the Frenchman’s clinical finishing this season has been admirable; of his 18 shots on target, 13 of them have been goals, the best ratio in the Arsenal squad this campaign.

He’s not the most conventional striker, and in an age where pace and agility seems to do so much damage to a defence it’s clear to see what qualities Giroud is lacking, but there’s no denying the impact and presence that he brings to this Arsenal side – there’s nobody else with a threat like him.