Lukas Podolski: Do the statistics suggest Arsenal should keep the striker?

How does his goals-per-game ratio compare with his rivals Giroud and Welbeck?

Lukas Podolski fires Arsenal's winning goal last night (GETTY IMAGES)

Lukas Podolski has been constantly linked with a move away from Arsenal in recent months, but his crucial goal last night against Anderlecht showed just why Arsene Wenger should make sure he goes nowhere.

The German international, who has 120 international caps to his name, bailed out the Gunners with a 90th-minute winner to secure a 2-1 win in Belgium, in the same week he rubbished speculation that he would ever move to rivals Tottenham in very public fashion.

But do the statistics back up the argument that Podolski is worth keeping on the books?

In 75 appearances for the Gunners he has scored 29 goals. Of those 75 appearances for the club he has, however, only started 54 matches.

Podolski has a goals-per-game ratio for Arsenal of 0.39.

But how does this compare with his strike rivals at Arsenal?

Olivier Giroud, who has kept Podolski out of the Arsenal line-up for much of his Gunners' career, has scored 41 goals in 102 appearances for the club, fares only slightly better, with a ratio of 0.40.

Danny Welbeck, who joined Arsenal from Manchester United in September, has the best goals-per-game ratio of any current Gunners' striker with 0.63, with five goals in eight appearances.

Wenger said after last night's match: "He is important as well and he showed that tonight and he will be important in the coming months."