Former Arsenal and Chelsea forward says he would ‘love’ to see Gunners win the league and backs Arteta | OneFootball

Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud says he would love to see them lift the Premier League trophy and praised the job Mikel Arteta has done at the club.

Giroud spent six years at Arsenal between 2012 and 2018 and was team-mates with the Arsenal boss, winning two FA Cups together in 2014 and 2015.

France’s all-time leading goalscorer is now living iut a childhood dream, playing in America for MLS side LAFC, who got their league campaign off to a winning start with a 1-0 win over Minnesota United on Saturday.

And speaking about the current Arsenal group, Giroud said: “He’s (Arteta) done a great job for a few years.

“It’s a continuity, maybe in a different style, from Arsene (Wenger). He had time to improve the team, to set up his ideas and he’s one of the best managers in the world. He’s shown it.

“He brought Arsenal back to the top of the league almost. I would love to see them win the league.

“I think Mikel will never give up. I wish them to win. It’s like Chelsea. Since I left they changed so many things and they rebuilt the team.

“There’s a lot of young, talented players and I think they have a great future in front of them.

“If I was a bookmaker I would bet the future on Arsenal and Chelsea.”

Giroud joined LAFC last season following a spell with AC Milan and will be hoping to guide them to more success this year, having been part of the squad which finished first in the Western Conference last year and also won the MLS Open Cup.

They were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the play-offs in their bid to become MLS champions, however, and Giroud is hoping to take them further this campaign.

“My career has been, step by step, improving as a football player,” he said. “Growing up as a man and I think every step of my career defined me as a player and as a better man.

“If you asked me at the beginning of my career if I could achieve so many things, I wouldn’t believe it.

“I had a mental strength to push myself out of my comfort zone and the determination to be successful.”