Olivier Giroud has praised Mikel Arteta's leadership ahead of his emotional return to face Arsenal with Lille in the Champions League. The former Gunners striker, who played 95 games alongside the current manager, said he always knew his old teammate was made for the role.
Giroud described the return to the Emirates Stadium as a "blessing" and reflected on their successful time together. The pair won three FA Cups and three Community Shields during Giroud's five-and-a-half-year spell in north London, where he scored 105 goals in 253 appearances.
"Mikel is a great person, he's a great manager, he's shown it with what he achieved, what he built with that team," Giroud said. The 40-year-old, who left for Chelsea in January 2018, highlighted Arteta's intelligence and work ethic as key traits that pointed towards a coaching career.
Arteta returned the compliment, fondly remembering his former teammate. "We were teammates. First of all, a great character and a great person to have around the dressing room, and then the players," the Arsenal manager said. He noted Giroud's intelligence on the pitch and his different style of play, which had a major impact after he joined from Montpellier.
Giroud last played at the Emirates in January 2019 for Chelsea in a 2-0 win. His return comes as Arsenal sit second in the Premier League with 15 points from six games.
Their latest victory was a 2-1 comeback win against Leeds, with goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimarães. Arteta's side now turn their focus to a domestic trip to face 15th-placed Nottingham Forest this weekend, a fixture listed on our fixtures schedule, before the European clash with Giroud's Lille on Tuesday evening.
More detail at Yahoo Sports
