Giroud spoke to John Cross of the Mirror ahead of the always feisty London derby against Chelsea on Sunday, commenting on his tussles with centre-halves as well as his own targets for this season.
When asked about the latter, the Frenchman admitted big ambitions.
I would like to reach 20 goals in the Premier League, that would be nice and if I can help the team to reach our aims then I would be pleased with that. For me, it would be nice if I could reach between 25 and 30 in all the competitions.
Having already scored 18 including a wonderful hat-trick against Olympiacos, it seems Giroud is on track. Interestingly enough, he also referred to Sunday’s game as a clash against a top side.
It’s going to be tight until the end. It could even be that goal difference makes the difference. Confrontations with the top teams will be decisive so we need to be efficient, focused and show a lot of solidarity. Chelsea are still a big team in the championship and we need to keep our confidence high and that’s why we need a good game and a win.
The Frenchman then admitted he is surprised by the poor season Chelsea have had.
To be honest, it’s very surprising to see where Chelsea are because they won the league last year with almost the same players, so it shows that the Premier League has improved.
Giroud is known for his strength and physical side of his game which makes him such an effective no.9, but when it comes to the ‘nastier’ side of football, it seems the 29-year-old prefers to stay out of it.
I don’t like to face some players who are nasty. I prefer to enjoy the game — even if it’s tough duels, at the end of the day we always shake hands afterwards.
It’s important to be a gentleman on the pitch. I want people to remember me as a good football player, to be respected as a good guy and to respect your opponent on the pitch.
Citing Mamadou Sakho and Ryan Shawcross as examples of such duels, he was no doubt alluding to Sunday’s fixture, saying that Arsenal must keep it tight defensively.
The main thing is to finish with 11 men. I know sometimes it’s difficult when you consider the history of the game. It’s better to keep your nerve.
Infamously, the reverse fixture back in October contained a red card for Gabriel after a heated first half with Diego Costa.
Naturally, this game is a must win after successive draws against Liverpool and Stoke, prompting Giroud to comment on the difficulty of the Premier League.
You always have to fight in the Premier League and that’s why I think it’s one of the best, maybe the best, championships in the world. Every game is a battle and you have to show a lot of character to win this league.
