Nicolas Anelka calls on Arsenal fans to trust Arsene Wenger after manager failed to buy striker to compete with Olivier Giroud

Arsenal did not sign an outfield player this summer

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud (AFP)

Former Arsenal striker Nicolas Anelka has called on the Gunners' faithful to trust Arsene Wenger after the manager failed to sign a striker this summer to compete with Olivier Giroud.

Giroud has not hit the ground running this season, having scored only one goal. The sole new addition to the Gunners this summer was goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea.

With Danny Welbeck out injured until "at least Christmas" as Wenger revealed today, the Gunners have only Theo Walcott as a ny kind of competition for Giroud.

"Arsene did the same with me - when Ian Wright was there, he didn’t buy anyone and I had to do the job up front,” Anelka told the National. “He believed in me and in the end I played regularly and played well. He made the same choice with Giroud.

"Arsene believes in his team, that’s why he hasn’t spent money. He believes in Giroud because he thinks he will score a lot of goals, which he already has done.

"When you look at the statistics he’s not so bad. Arsenal won something last season, won something the season before, so why not again?

"But people have to wait and see and then speak at the end of the season. If they don’t win anything, then you can say something. However, people have to trust Arsene. He knows what he is doing."

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