Olivier Giroud believes Mikel Arteta will recover from another setback and eventually guide Arsenal to their long-awaited Premier League title.
Arsenal has been Liverpool’s main competitor this season, but a surprise loss to West Ham on Saturday has left them 11 points behind the league leaders ahead of their upcoming match against Nottingham Forest. With only 12 games remaining, Arteta is running out of time to secure Arsenal’s first league title since Arsène Wenger’s 2004 Invincibles. Despite coming close in the last two seasons, they were overtaken by Manchester City, and now Arne Slot’s side could deal them a third consecutive disappointment, increasing the pressure on Arteta.
However, Giroud, 38, who played alongside Arteta during his six-year spell at Arsenal—winning two FA Cups together—has confidence in the manager’s ability. Now playing for LAFC in the MLS, Giroud praised Arteta’s work, saying, “He can take that final step. He’s done a great job. There’s been continuity in a different style, but still continuity in what Arsenal has built. He’s had time to develop the team and implement his ideas.
“He’s now one of the best managers in Europe and has proven it by bringing Arsenal back near the top. I would love to see them win the league, but the competition is tough. Anything can happen. Mikel will never give up, and I hope they succeed.”
While Giroud remains optimistic about Arsenal, Chelsea, another of his former clubs, has had a more difficult season. The Blues have lost three of their last four league games and are now fighting to secure a Champions League spot under Enzo Maresca.
Giroud, a World Cup winner in 2018, also won the Champions League with Chelsea, but the club has struggled since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over in 2022. Under new ownership, Chelsea has undergone major squad changes, and Giroud acknowledges it could take time before they compete at the highest level again.
“A lot of people I worked with at Chelsea have left. The ownership changed, and with it came a different philosophy,” he said. “On paper, they have a talented squad, but they need time. That’s necessary when a team undergoes so many changes. Chelsea has always had high expectations. I felt that when I joined.
“But right now, you can’t expect them to be at the top immediately. With so many changes and new players, they need time to develop and find the right formula to return to the top.”
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