Striker Chamakh delighted with Arsenal impact

Marouane Chamakh says he has been surprised by the impact he has made at Arsenal following his free transfer move from Bordeaux in the summer.

Chamakh, 26, has scored five goals in 11 games in all competitions, as well as winning a succession of penalties. He did so again against Birmingham when being fouled by Scott Dann in the box in the first half before rounding Ben Foster to score at the start of the second.

The Moroccan's potency has come as something of a surprise given that during his time at Bordeaux he scored only 56 league goals in 230 games - an average of 0.24 a game. The striker says even he has been taken aback by his fast start in north London.

"It's much more than I expected - I set myself some time to adapt to English football and it seems this time is going quicker," Chamakh said. "Five goals in 11 matches is definitely more than what I thought."

Chamakh's decisive impact against Birmingham saw Arsenal make up two points on Premier League leaders Chelsea, who drew 0-0 with Aston Villa. While the Gunners are still five points behind the reigning champions having already lost twice this season, Chamakh feels they are capable of mounting a title challenge.

"We can do it. When you see the way we are playing and the team we have, it's not a problem," he said. "Almost every game has to be won, there's no place for any other mistake now."
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Wenger: ‘Chamakh is a winner and a fighter’

Arsène Wenger heaped praise on his lone striker and his defensive unit after Saturday’s 2-1 win over Birmingham.
The Arsenal manager said he needed three points no matter what and that is exactly what he got at the weekend. Afterwards he spoke to TV Online about
* getting the victory
* why he rated the defensive performance
* what he said at half-time after the penalty incident
* Jack Wilshere’s red card
* Marouane Chamakh’s vital early influence on Arsenal
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