Giroud admits how he feels about returning to face Arsenal
· Yahoo Sports
Olivier Giroud is looking forward to playing against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, particularly as he’s expecting it to be his final season as a player.
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Olivier Giroud is set to play a somewhat unexpected match against former club Arsenal on Tuesday night, travelling back to his old club for a Champions League clash with Lille.
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Giroud obviously spent nine years in London, first with Arsenal and then with Chelsea, but after he crossed the Atlantic to play for LAFC in 2024, he probably never expected to be back playing in the English capital at the age of 40.
The striker is set to retire at the end of the 2026/27 campaign, and he’s looking forward to one more chance to play in an Arsenal match.
“To come back in maybe my final year to the Emirates, to hopefully play a Champions League match there, will be just amazing,” Giroud told Arsenal.com.
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“It will be full of emotion,” Giroud added (via GFFN). “Every time that I go back there, it is a real pleasure and I am so happy to be able to return with Lille for my last year.
“It is huge to see Mikel Arteta again, with whom I played when I arrived at Arsenal. He is doing incredible work. It will be very hard on Tuesday. We have to really believe in our chances and play with freedom, without asking ourselves questions.”
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Giroud played five times against Arsenal with Chelsea, with mixed results. His biggest success by far was in the Europa League final in 2019, as he played a part in three of Chelsea’s four goals.
On the other side of things, he was on the losing side in the FA Cup final in 2020, and he never provided any goals or assists against the Gunners in his three Premier League games.
The striker has a goal and two assists in seven appearances this season, and Arsenal will be looking to ensure he can’t add to that on Tuesday night.
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