The Lukas Podolski dichotomy: here is a player who rarely dominates games, often lets them pass him by, and yet is the most lethal finisher at the club with a goals-to-games ration that is closing in on remarkable.

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From 11 Premier League starts this season (and six substitute appearances) he has eight goals. In all competitions it's 17 starts (the same sub stat) and 15 goals.

If there are questions about how exactly he fits into this Arsenal team, perhaps they've been answered in the last two games. The German has scored four times in the last week, and it's no coincidence that as Arsenal have found a little more creative freedom and confidence, we've seen Podolski thrive.

His two goals against West Ham came from clever assists by Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey, the finishes both superb. Against Hull he was alive to Ramsey's chest down for his first, and to the rebound from the Welshman's shot which brought about his second. He's rarely going to get you a goal from nothing, he's not that kind of player, but if you give him something to aim at, chances are he'll tuck it away.

When Arsenal were struggling for goals, Podolski looked as culpable as anyone else. He tends to dwell on the ball a bit too long at times, cuts back inside when he should be providing width, and there have long been worries about his defensive contribution. Not in terms of laziness, per se, but that he can be a clumsy tackler, to put it mildly.

PA PhotosArsenal striker Lukas Podolski fires home his second goal of the game against Hull.

Yet around the opposition box, when Arsenal can create space for him, he is clinical. Although the smaller number of games played has to be taken into account, his shot accuracy is outstanding. Via Squawka.com, he has a shot accuracy of 73 percent in the Premier League.

To put that into context, some of the other top scorers in the league check in as follows:

Luis Suarez - 53 percent
Daniel Sturridge - 50 percent
Olivier Giroud - 40 percent
Sergio Aguero - 60 percent
Wayne Rooney - 51 percent
Robin van Persie - 45 percent

It's been suggested, and rightly so, that Olivier Giroud has suffered because Arsenal have been without Theo Walcott, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil at times this season. It's certainly a factor when you're a striker who plays with his back to goal and likes to bring others into play. When you don't have players running beyond you, it can affect your performances.

For all his talk of wanting to play as a central striker, there have been doubts about Podolski's ability to hold up play in that role, as well his mobility. Those are genuine concerns, but with Ramsey and Ozil back in the side, Arsenal's chance creation increases dramatically. Ozil still leads the Gunners with 63 in the league, despite the fact he's been out injured.

Ramsey's has 31 with over three months missing from his season, and having those two players back in the side suits not only Giroud, but Podolski as well. There's less emphasis on him to contribute to the build-up, allowing him to flourish as an out and out finisher. And as his accuracy stats show, he gives the goalkeeper something think about three times from every four shots (more or less).

Perhaps he's not as rounded a footballer as some of his teammates, but what he does well, he does very well, and between now and the end of this season it's hard not to imagine him making more vital contributions.

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