Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has revealed that he was left hurt and disappointed by Arsene Wenger earlier this season having been forced into a bench role for the Gunners.
It was a tough start to the campaign for the French international, as his late return after Euro 2016 complicated matters before a toe injury added to his frustration.
All that has contributed to the fact that he has started just one game so far this season, and while he pinpointed not starting against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in September as one of the biggest disappointments thus far, he believes this is now probably his toughest season with Arsenal to date.
“Yes it’s possible,” he told L’Equipe, as reported by The Mirror.
“I thought I would start because the coach had put me on the bench against Southampton, three days before. But no. It is in that moment, on the morning of the match in Paris, that I had a discussion with him. He said that I was close to returning.
“Frankly, I was hurt, disappointed. This meeting is finally terrible because I hurt my foot after two minutes of a start, and I couldn’t get in my stride.”
Giroud added that he was again left disappointed not to start against Tottenham in the north London derby given his impact in the games against Sunderland and Ludogorets prior to it as he looks to add to his 85-goal tally for the Gunner since joining the club in 2012.
Nevertheless, more importantly, he added that he wouldn’t give up and will continue to fight for his place in the starting line-up, while he sees himself at the Emirates Stadium for another two or three years yet to see out his contract.
Alexis Sanchez is certainly making that difficult for him given his quick start to the season which sees him lead the way for Arsenal with eight goals and seven assists in 15 appearances, but Giroud still offers a different kind of threat up top that can be very useful for Wenger in the months ahead.