Olivier Giroud is looking forward to playing against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, especially in what he expects to be his last season as a player.
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Olivier Giroud is preparing for an unexpected game with his former club Arsenal He returns to his old club for a Champions League clash on Tuesday night Lille.
Giroud obviously spent nine years in London, first with Arsenal and then with him Chelseabut after he crossed the Atlantic to play for LAFC He never expected to be playing in the English capital in 2024 at the age of 40.
The striker is set to retire at the end of the 2026/27 season and he is waiting for another chance to play in an Arsenal match.
“Maybe going back to the Emirates in his final year, playing a Champions League game there, would be a miracle,” Giroud told Arsenal.com.
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“It will be full of emotions,” Giroud said (via GFFN ). “Every time I go back there it’s a real pleasure and I’m very happy to be back with Lille for the last year.
It’s great to see Mikel Arteta again, who I played with when I came to Arsenal. He is doing an incredible job. Tuesday will be very difficult. We really have to believe in our chances and play freely without questioning ourselves.”
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Giroud played five times for Chelsea against Arsenal, with mixed results. His biggest success came in the 2019 Europa League final, as he was involved in three of Chelsea’s four goals.
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On the other side of things, he was on the losing side in the 2020 FA Cup final and never managed a goal or assist against the Gunners in his three Premier League appearances.
The striker has a goal and two assists in seven games this season and Arsenal will be looking to ensure he can’t add to that on Tuesday night.
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