After a very inconsistent season at Arsenal, Olivier Giroud had come under heavy criticism following his 15-game goalless run in the Premier League and was said to be the major reason behind Arsenal not winning the EPL. On being asked whether he feared of losing his place at Arsenal, Giroud defended himself saying that a team is not a player and it was not just his fault. He also mentioned Mesut Ozil in his statement alleging that Ozil had also lost his form towards the end of the season and was equally responsible for the title loss.
“You can never be 100% sure. But given what I had accomplished in the team of France, I think so. Even at Arsenal if it didn’t work out at the start of the year, a team is not a player. Our problems were collective. I’ve been less efficient compared to the first half of the season, but it is same for all the players, either Ozil or another,” he told French newspaper L’Equipe.
He admitted that he had not played well in some of the matches but claimed that he had played well in the important matches against Leicester City and even in the Champions League knockouts. The 29-year old had scored four goals in the final two league matches of the season for Arsenal and was listed in the French national squad for the Euro 2016, which they will host this summer.
Also read: Why Arsenal's Olivier Giroud is an underrated striker in the Premier League
He had started the season on a very strong note, scoring goals regularly even after being played second-fiddle to Theo Walcott in the initial half of the season, after which his form dropped considerably finally ending up with a barren run for Arsenal. It was even reported that Ozil had allegedly liked an Instagram post proposing that Giroud was the major reason why he failed to break Henry’s record for most assists in a season. Ozil ended up with only 19 assists at the end of the season, one behind Henry’s Premier League record tally of 20.
Arsenal fans had berated him for his ineptness in front of goal, scoring only 16 goals in 38 games for Arsenal, starting for the Gunners only 26 times this season. The France national team fans were also seen jeering at him at a friendly against Cameroon, which might seem a bit harsh considering his blazing form for them, scoring 10 goals in 11 games for his country.
