Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud will have his allegiances split tonight
An injured Olivier Giroud of Arsenal is consoled by Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal during the Carabao Cup Quarter-Final match between Arsenal and West Ham United
Olivier Giroud has explained why Arsene Wenger decided to sell him to Chelsea after a change of direction at Arsenal(Image: Julian Finney/Getty Images)
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Olivier Giroud swapped his London allegiances from Arsenal to Chelsea because of a dispute with Arsene Wenger. The former Emirates fan favourite jumped ship to Stamford Bridge in January 2018 in a move that might have been viewed as a betrayal at the time.
Former France striker Giroud, 40, spent five-and-a-half years with the Gunners and won three FA Cup crowns during that time. He returns to his former stomping ground on Tuesday when Lille visit north London in the Champions League group phase.
Giroud more than paid back the £9.6million Arsenal invested to sign him from Montpellier in 2012, scoring 105 goals for the club. However, he revealed how Wenger sought to evolve his team without the frontman being part of his plans.
"I needed to leave Arsenal because of the fact that Arsene Wenger wanted to play with a different kind of striker," he told ESPN in 2019. "My time was over in Arsenal and I was really pleased to sign [for] a big club like Chelsea.
"I settled really well. It's like I was part of this Chelsea team for a long time. I felt very good, with a good understanding with the players. We won the FA Cup and I played a few games, and then I had the opportunity to go to the [2018] World Cup. It was very good for me."
Arsenal had already brought in a new striker to compete with Giroud after signing Alexandre Lacazette in the summer of 2017. Wenger then followed that up by recruiting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.
On the same deadline day that Aubameyang was brought in, Giroud was allowed to join Chelsea for a reported £18m. Despite some growing pains, it ended up being a successful venture as he added both the Champions League and Europa League titles to his trophy cabinet.
Olivier GIROUD of Lille during Ligue 1 McDonald's match between Lille and Le Havre at Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Giroud is currently starring for Lille after returning to Ligue 1 following a 13-year absence(Image: Kevin Clement/Icon Sport via Getty Images)
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Giroud worked under four managers during his three-and-a-half-year spell at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte was in charge when he signed but was then replaced by Maurizio Sarri, with Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel also taking turns prior to his 2021 exit.
At the ripe age of 40, the Frenchman continues to deliver at the top level. Following a stint in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC, he scored 11 goals for Lille last season but currently has a single goal from six outings so far this term.
Giroud's prospects of featuring against Arsenal, who beat Leeds 2-1 on Saturday, may be somewhat slim and depend on how the match progresses. Ayase Ueda will be expected to start up front for the side managed by Davide Ancelotti, son of former Chelsea boss Carlo.
However, there are few better figures to call upon from the bench in the event Les Dogues find themselves scrapping for a goal. Giroud has scored once and assisted three times in five appearances against Arsenal to date and could come back to haunt his old club in Europe.
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