Marouane Chamakh could not be happier with his start to life at Arsenal.
The Moroccan striker signed from Bordeaux early in the summer and has taken to the Premier League like the proverbial duck to water, scoring headers against Blackpool and Bolton as well as forcing a point-saving error from Pepe Reina at Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season.
Chamakh continued his scoring streak on Wednesday night with a precise finish in the 6-0 defeat of Braga in the Champions League and looks set to continue up front at Sunderland on Saturday in the absence of Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner.
Speaking to the Official Matchday Programme ahead of the Braga game, Chamakh admitted that his first month in an Arsenal shirt has gone even better than expected.
"For me, this is a great start to my debut season – four league games and three victories, with a group that it’s a pleasure to be part of. Everything’s going very well so far.
"[Last Saturday's opponents] Bolton resembled Blackburn in many ways, I thought. Physically and athletically they were very strong, and they pressured us very well at times. The way they played posed some problems for us.
"You might call it a typical English game, of the kind I expected when I arrived. They often played it long and then battled for the second ball. That happened when they scored their goal with a header, which we were disappointed with - but never mind, we came back with three of our own."
One of those came courtesy of Chamakh's head but, as he proved on Wednesday night, the Moroccan striker is equally adept on the ground.
"It was an excellent cross by Cesc Fabregas to create the chance [against Bolton], and fortunately my heading is a good attribute.
"But it’s not all about the high ball, I’m not afraid of playing with my feet either – we play the ball on the ground, passing it, moving it rapidly, and I like that. But yes, my strong point is with my head and that’s fine.”
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