Europa League: "It will be special for me," says Olivier Giroud ahead of facing Arsenal in final
What's the story?
Olivier Giroud will face his former club, Arsenal, in the Europa League final on 30th May in Baku. Both sides will battle it out for the trophy and for the former Arsenal man, it will be a special game for him.
In case you didn't know...
Giroud joined Chelsea in January 2018 after failing to secure sufficient game time with the Gunners. Since he moved to Stamford Bridge, he has not been a regular starter for the club. Instead, he spends the majority of his time on the bench.
However, the Frenchman has a pretty good record in Europe this season. Giroud is currently the top scorer in the Europa League with 10 goals, level with Luka Jovic and two goals ahead of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The heart of the matter
Arsenal players would know how good the striker is in scoring headers from set-pieces. He might not have the pace of Aubameyang, but he surely would be a threat in the box during set-pieces.
Petr Cech would be the other player facing his former club, but unlike Giroud, the goalkeeper is currently with the Gunners.
After learning of his opponents for the final, the 32-year-old commented,
"It is true I receive a nice welcome when I play there. As a player you need to deal with these kinds of moments."
"It will be special for me but I will put it to the side and forget who I play against."
What's next?
The Blues are guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season after securing a top-four finish in the Premier League. However, Arsenal would need to lift the Europa League trophy in order to play in the elite European competition. Both managers would be equally eager to get the silverware since it is their first season in charge of the respective clubs.