Olivier Giroud made a controversial transfer from Arsenal to rivals Chelsea after falling out with legendary boss Arsene Wenger. The French striker is now set for a return to North London with Lille in the Champions League.
The former Gunners favourite, who lifted three FA Cups during his time with the club, made a shocking switch to Stamford Bridge in January 2018. The 40-year-old now lines up for Ligue 1 outfit Lille, who travel to the Emirates Stadium for a Champions League group stage clash against Mikel Arteta's Premier League winners on Tuesday evening.
Why Giroud left Arsenal
During his time with Arsenal, the £9.6million man signed from Montpellier in 2012 bagged 105 goals for the club. Yet his relationship with Wenger soured when he learned about his countryman's future 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's new strikers
Arsenal had already secured a new striker to challenge Giroud following the acquisition of £47million flop Alexandre Lacazette during the summer of 2017. Wenger subsequently bolstered his attacking options by bringing in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018.
On the very same deadline day that Aubameyang arrived, Giroud was permitted to move to Chelsea for a reported £18m. Though there were initial teething problems, it proved to be a fruitful transfer as he claimed both Champions League and Europa League honours.
Giroud's Chelsea years and current form
Giroud served under four different managers throughout his three-and-a-half-year tenure at Stamford Bridge. Antonio Conte was at the helm when he arrived but was subsequently succeeded by Maurizio Sarri, with Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel also taking charge before his 2021 departure.
At the seasoned age of 40, the Frenchman remains effective at the highest level. After a period in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles FC, he netted 11 goals for Lille last season, but presently has just one goal from six appearances so far this campaign.
Giroud's chances of appearing against Arsenal, who defeated Leeds 2-1 on Saturday, may be rather limited and will hinge on how the fixture unfolds. Ayase Ueda is anticipated to lead the line for the team coached by Davide Ancelotti, son of former Chelsea manager Carlo.
Nevertheless, there are scarcely superior options to summon from the substitutes' bench should Les Dogues find themselves battling for a crucial strike. Giroud has netted once and provided three assists in five outings against Arsenal thus far and might return to torment his former club on the European stage.
