Lukas Podolski: 'Time to stop moaning about Robin van Persie, Alex Song'

Arsenal striker Lukas Podolski has urged the club to forget about the departures of forward Robin van Persie and midfielder Alex Song in the summer.

The Germany international believes that midfielder Santi Cazorla and striker Olivier Giroud can replace the departed duo.

"It would have been better [had Van Persie and Song stayed]," Podolski is quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.

"But we have Cazorla and Giroud now. Great players have left but we have to look forward."

Podolski further said that he enjoys playing with Cazorla in Arsenal's attack.

"In the offence I like to play with Cazorla," he said. "You see this in the matches. I am looking for him and he is looking for me.

"I like playing with him. I can't understand why he was playing for Villarreal and Malaga and not a bigger team earlier.

"I'm looking forward to playing the next four years with him."

Arsenal will host Chelsea at the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday.