Arsene Wenger congratulated Olivier Giroud after the striker’s double secured Arsenal’s passage into the Sixth Round of The FA Cup.
Giroud notched a quick-fire first-half brace to down Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough at the Emirates.
He finished off a typical Arsenal passing move from close range before capitalising on some slack Boro defending to volley home Alexis Sanchez’s corner two minutes later.
Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough
The FA Cup
Fifth Round Proper
Sunday 15 February
Emirates Stadium
Winners receive £180,000 from FA Prize Fund
Click here for match stats
Wenger said: “I believe Giroud today is a different player to the guy who arrived here.
“He understands what top-level football demands. He works with a great concentration in training and has improved tremendously on his mobility and his technical ability.
“Of course, his body is very strong and he uses it very well.”
He continued: “We controlled the game from the first to the last minute.
“I’m pleased with the way we attacked, with the way we defended and the way we played together. We focused for 90 minutes.
“The first goal is what we try to do, what we work on.
“The second goal shows that the game belongs to the players, because it’s a consequence of two players who respond quickly to a situation. It’s a consequence of intelligence and technique.”
Giroud sweeps home the second
Meanwhile, Boro boss Aitor Karanka was disappointed with the mistake that led to Arsenal’s second goal.
He said: “It’s difficult against teams like Arsenal, if you make mistakes like we did for the second goal.
"If you want to take something from games like today you have to be perfect.
“I’m a little bit disappointed because everybody was expecting another game like we played against Man City [in Round Four]. We didn’t go to the pitch the way we usually go."
Roy Hodgson and Brian Finney, Sir Tom Finney’s son, will make the Sixth Round draw on Monday night.
