Arteta: Giroud was not underestimated at Arsenal
Arteta praises Giroud and confirms he was not taken lightly at Arsenal.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
London - AFP - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that French striker Olivier Giroud was “certainly not underestimated” by his teammates during his time at the London club, ahead of Tuesday’s match against French side Lille in the second round of the unified group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
Giroud, 40, returns to the Emirates Stadium, where he played for Arsenal between the summer of 2012 and January 2018, this time wearing Lille’s jersey.
Arteta, who played alongside the French striker at Arsenal between 2011 and 2016, said during the pre-match press conference: “I remember his arrival after he won the French league title with Montpellier. He came here and made a big impact on the team, as he possessed qualities very different from the players we were used to. What an incredible career he has had! He truly deserved it.”
When asked whether Giroud had been underestimated in terms of his abilities, similar to what some fans perceive regarding Arsenal’s current German striker Kai Havertz, Arteta replied: “From our side, certainly not, and not from Arsene Wenger either in that case. As for others, I don’t know.”
The Spanish manager praised Giroud’s intelligence and technical skills, adding: “He was extremely intelligent above all, and it was very difficult for opponents to neutralize his threat. Whenever he played, he posed a major danger inside the penalty area. He had exceptional tactical intelligence, was excellent at understanding his teammates, and the amount of work he put in was extraordinary.”
Regarding Lille, Arteta said: “We will face a very difficult team with outstanding organization. What Davide Ancelotti has achieved is remarkable, and you can see it in how the team fights and plays, and the problems they cause for big clubs.”
Arsenal will play the match without Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapié and Spanish midfielder Martin Zubimendi, both of whom suffered ankle injuries during the recovery session following Saturday’s last match.
Meanwhile, French defender William Saliba has returned to training for over a week after missing games due to a back injury he sustained before the 2026 World Cup.
Regarding the possibility of the Frenchman returning to action in November, Arteta said: “It is a very specific injury, and I cannot precisely determine how his recovery will progress.”
