Tag: Olivier Giroud

Should Chelsea make a move for Eden Hazard?

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In June of 2019, just one month before Frank Lampard took over as Chelsea head coach, Eden Hazard completed his dream transfer to Real Madrid. Hazard was long an admirer of Madrid coach and former player Zinidine Zidane. Hazard also linked up with close friend and former Chelsea teammate Thibaut Courtois, who left Chelsea the year prior due to growing dissatisfaction with Chelsea’s managerial turnover that saw Courtois play under four different managers during his time in England. While Chelsea in truth could use the services of both players, Courtois has established himself as a mainstay between the sticks for Zidane’s side after an initially turbulent start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. Hazard meanwhile has been as ineffective as he’s been healthy at Madrid, having thus far made a paltry 33 appearances over one and a half seasons whilst scoring a modest three goals, a far cry from his true quality.

An Eden Hazard return to Stamford Bridge could be mutually beneficial for many, with the Chelsea board scrambling for ways to finish inside the top 4, and Madrid likely desiring for their player to return to form. Hazard is now closer to the end of his career rather than the beginning having turned 30 at the beginning of the month. However, he offers a low-risk high reward option for the Blues, offering at the very least experience in the Premier League and individual drive and creativity from the left wing. For Chelsea, this hopefully would mean some production from the left flank, which has been totally devoid of scoring and creativity for almost the entire season. Christian Pulisic, like Hazard, has been oft-injured and mostly ineffective while Timo Werner on the other hand just really isn’t a winger. Callum Hudson-Odoi has been in and out of the lineup and on different flanks while filling in for one of Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech.

Eden Hazard and striker Olivier Giroud shared a mesmerizing chemistry during the 2018-19 season under Maurizio Sarri. (Getty)

In addition to providing an attacking spark and creativity, Hazard was also a dressing room favorite and maintains great links within the team. During Olivier Giroud’s hot run of form during the triumphant 2018-19 Europa League campaign, Hazard hailed Giroud as “maybe” the best target man in the world. A Hazard return would bode well in this case, as Giroud has supplanted Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner as Frank Lampard’s preferred number 9 on multiple occasions.

While this article is largely speculative and thinking out loud of sorts, it does make perfect sense. Chelsea’s board are truly growing restless and desperate and currently with the winter transfer window looking like a crapshoot it might not hurt to try and take a flier on the lottery ticket that is Eden Hazard. Maybe you win, maybe you don’t. It’s hard to imagine Real Madrid considering a deal like this non-negotiable considering Hazard has just one goal this campaign. Almost any other player can offer a similar return while Hazard can play elsewhere, and collect a loan fee at the same time. And of course, in the worst-case scenario Hazard can always be recalled to the Santiago Bernabeu. Alas, it is a break from the managerial rumors. Stay calm and stay patient Chelsea fans.

Is it time that Olivier Giroud and Chelsea Part Ways?

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Frank Lampard enters his second season as manager of Chelsea and comes off an impressive year where he finished in a top four spot in the English Premier League. In doing so, Chelsea qualified for the Champions League for a second straight season and did this with the loss of their star player, Eden Hazard. The Belgian was sold to Real Madrid as he wanted to play under Zinedine Zidane. Additionally, a transfer ban last summer restricted Chelsea from purchasing players and strengthening their squad.

The youth academy finally became a focal point as young touted players such as Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham finally had their chance to showcase their skills. Mount and Abraham each flourished in their first season in the EPL as they scored seven and fifteen goals, respectively. They have continued that trend into their second season and have excelled.

With the transfer ban no longer an issue this season, the summer transfer market was boisterous for Chelsea. The Blues caught many by surprise with their marquee signings as they were able to sign elite players such as Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. To add to the mix, Abraham has started to emerge as an elite striker so Lampard has plenty of options at centre-forward.

So where does this leave Olivier Giroud? The Frenchman signed a one-year deal last season to extend his stay with the Blues but this decision has backfired. He has started in five of their twenty-one matches in all competitions this season and regularly appeared as a substitute. In recent times, he has grown frustrated and has fallen down the pecking order. The forward needs to play more if he is to secure his spot in the Euros for France come June.

Giroud has mentioned that he’s grown frustrated and that he will decide on his future come January 2021. Lampard wants the forward to stay, however, Chelsea will not get in the way if he decides to leave. Since arriving from Arsenal, Giroud has helped Chelsea win a FA Cup and the Europa League.

Near the midway point of the season, Mitchy Batshuayi was the backup to Abraham and Giroud was third in line.

Batshuayi’s performances declined back in February and this prompted Lampard to move Giroud behind Abraham.  He too was struggling as scoring and his inability to finish started to become an issue. While this compounded midway through the season, this gave Giroud an opportunity to make his mark as the number one choice for his manager.

Although Abraham recovered from injuries before Project Restart, he faltered down the latter part of the season as he scored twice in their final 13 appearances (between the EPL and FA Cup).

Rumoured to be joining clubs such as Inter Milan, Lazio and Tottenham Hotspurs last January, this never materialized as the Frenchman stayed with Chelsea for the remainder of the season. Had he left, Lampard’s options would have been Abraham and Batshuayi and, with the latter no longer part of his plans, he couldn’t afford to lose Giroud without a sufficient replacement. In April, Giroud renewed his contract and decided to stay an additional season with the Blues.

While Giroud wasn’t a starter last season, he still showed determination when Lampard called upon him to enter as a substitute. The Frenchman proved himself and was inserted in the staring lineup when the season re-started. He provided stability up front and scored eight goals in thirteen EPL matches and one goal in the FA Cup Semi-Finals.

Fast forward to this season and Giroud found himself in a situation he didn’t want to be in. He was in a lesser role with Chelsea now that Havertz and Werner joined the club. Along with the emergence of Abraham, the Frenchman had every reason to leave the club. In recent times, that hasn’t been the case as Werner, Havertz and Abraham are struggling as they’ve been in poor form.

He wants to secure his spot in the upcoming Euros with France and also play regularly. That may be a possibility as the Frenchman is having another good season with the Blues. He has scored eight goals in fourteen games across all competitions and is on pace to surpass his numbers from last season.

Earlier this season, Giroud played a meaningful part in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Stade Rennais F.C. in the Champions League as he scored the winner in the dying moments. A great moment for the Frenchman and the Blues which shows the kind of player they have, yet he will need a more significant role with the club if he is to stay.

“I think everybody feels from the outside what a great professional [Giroud] is and how highly regarded he is by his teammates and by myself,” said Lampard.

“And for him to get a goal, you’ve seen the reaction of his teammates, he’s so professional in how he trains and looks after himself that age isn’t even a factor.

“Even though he doesn’t play all the time,” he continued.

“I hope and I think he knows that I’m happy with him and how much I rely on him.”

His time with the Blues will always be remembered for scoring pivotal goals and helping them win two important trophies. Chelsea have gone in a new direction with young talented players that will become the future of this club. Yet, if Werner’s struggles persist and Lampard continues to be reluctant to use Havertz as a number nine, this will leave him with just Abraham.

Lampard wants Giroud to stay so what looked like a bad situation may have changed its course for the Frenchman to reconsider leaving. However, if he is to leave, let’s take a moment to be thankful and grateful for his time with Chelsea. He arrived to Chelsea leaving with trophies, scoring pivotal goals and becoming a Blue’s player to remember and love.

Olivier Giroud – Chelsea’s underrated gunman

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It is all but confirmed that Olivier Giroud is at the sunset of his time at Chelsea. The Frenchman who’s on the verge of leaving the club in the January transfer window needs to be playing regular football in order to secure his place in the French squad for the upcoming 2021 Euros. A career laden with trophies including the FIFA World Cup, I am explaining why Olivier Giroud will always remain English football’s underrated gunman.

Even at 34, Olivier Giroud debatably remains the best target man in the world. A player whose first touch and linkup remains second to none, Giroud is a dream to play with for many explosive wingers in the world. A player who isn’t appreciated by many, he has come up a long way since his dream season at Montpelier.

After a slow start to his life at Arsenal, Giroud quickly became a fan favorite in North London. Even after many world-class performances at the club including THAT Puskas Award winning Scorpion-Kick against Crystal Palace, it was evident that Giroud might make way for fresh blood at Arsenal. The signatures of Alex Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were an important catalyst for Giroud’s move to West London. Despite averaging about 14 Goals a season, Giroud remained underappreciated at Arsenal. Even in 2020, Giroud’s exceptional link-up is underrated by many.

Since Giroud’s transfer to Chelsea in the 2018 winter transfer window, he has been a clutch player for the club. While it is easy to forget his contributions in the FA Cup winning season, he consistently delivered during the Europa League for Chelsea. Giroud has earned rightful plaudits for his heroics in the Europa League campaign under Maurizio Sarri. Chelsea remained undefeated throughout the Europa campaign and the performances of Giroud, along with the likes of Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek deserve far more recognition.

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While Giroud might be criticized for his lack of goal-scoring boots in the World Cup, his aerial threat and his ability create spaces for his team mates helped the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Antoinne Griezmann be fierce in front of goal throughout the campaign. The fact that Giroud did not have a single shot on target throughout the World Cup surprises many, including myself. However, Giroud remains one of the great examples why stats don’t always matter in world football.

Giroud’s link-up with Eden Hazard was really beautiful to the eyes. Eden Hazard, who’s arguably the most talented player to ever play for Chelsea, hailed Giroud’s influence in the games. Hazard was probably the one player who benefited the most from Giroud’s signature, even calling him the best target man in the world.

Despite warming the bench in the current campaign, Giroud has remained an important mentor to our young players. An extremely dedicated individual coupled with great professionalism is what makes Olivier Giroud special at Chelsea Football Club. One might not rate him alongside other strikers such as Sergio Aguero, Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, but Giroud has indeed been an underrated gem to have graced English Football.

Olivier Giroud Secures The Three Points For Chelsea – 3 takeaways

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Olivier Giroud Secures The Three Points For Chelsea

Chelsea put their recent outing against Sheffield United behind them and put forth a dominant performance against Norwich City.

Olivier Giroud was the difference-maker for Chelsea and delivered the game winning goal.

The win secured three crucial points for the Blues, who are trying to solidify a spot into Champions League next season. Manchester United, Leicester City and Wolverhampton are all within striking distance and Chelsea cannot afford to have any slip ups.

So, what did we learn from this match?

Olivier Giroud Steps Up For Chelsea

Prior to the resumption of the league, Giroud appeared in nine league matches. Tammy Abraham was Frank Lampard’s first starter and Michy Batshuayi was the second choice to replace Abraham. This left Giroud as the third choice, which minimized his playing time.

Abraham’s recent poor form and struggles, along with Batshuayi’s poor performance against Manchester United back in February, has given Giroud his opportunity.  Since the restart, he has become the number one choice and this has paid off immensely.  

In their past seven matches, Giroud has scored four goals with three of them being game winners. For the first time in his career with Chelsea, he scored in three straight league starts. The striker has helped the Blues earn nine crucial points as they try to earn a spot into Champions League. Giroud, once again, put forth a superb performance.

“He is always going to give you a desire to get in there for the team [Chelsea],” Lampard said.

“He had a few half chances in the central area. That is what you have to do when he is in the team – use his attributes. He has scored important goals. He has never given me a problem, always trained well. His professionalism is always good.”

Giroud’s presence was noticeable throughout the match as he was very physical and aggressive inside the goal area. He won six aerial duels, had eight shots on goal and converted one key pass. He made countless runs towards the goal area and made it difficult for the Norwich defense. His recent play has earned the respect of Lampard and further advanced Chelsea towards their goal (Champions League).

Tim Krul Makes The Score Line Look Better

Norwich struggled to advance into Chelsea’s final third as the Canaries finished with two shots on goal. They had a possession rate of 32%, yet failed to sustain any pressure on Chelsea’s backend. It was the performance of Tim Krul who made the score line look more deceiving. The goalkeeper made hard fought saves on Giroud, Christian Pulsic and Marcos Alonso. He showed great awareness, made timely challenges and was well positioned to make key saves.

Chelsea finished with a possession rate of 68% and had 22 shots on goal. The Blues successfully converted six shots on target that came from close range and needed Krul to be firm and alert. It was a lackluster performance from Norwich, who were officially relegated after their recent loss against West Ham United. Krul has been one of the most encouraging signs in a Norwich’s frustrating season.

Marcos Alonso Delivers A Strong Performance

Chelsea’s recent 3-0 loss versus Sheffield United led Lampard to make five changes to his lineup. Alonso, who hasn’t started since July 1st versus West Ham, was reinserted into the lineup. The fullback was benched for the subsequent two matches after his poor outing against the Hammers. The decision paid off as the Spaniard put forth a quality performance.

From the start of the match, Alonso was fully engaged with his speed, movement and quick runs down the left flank. He showed good awareness and was very decisive and accurate with his delivery into the box. He converted five of seven crosses into the goal area and created scoring opportunities for the Blues. In the second half, he came close to setting up Chelsea’s second goal. The fullback delivered a pass across the box where Azpilicueta made a run with plenty of space to work with and his shot sailed just over the crossbar.

Alonso was sound and alert in the backend where he made safe decisions in clearing the ball away from danger and limited Norwich’s chances. He was tentative on both ends of the field which was encouraging to see. At a critical stage in their season, Alonso stepped up at the right time.

Chelsea fight off late surge from Crystal Palace: 3 take-aways from the match

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Chelsea Player Ratings Vs Crystal Palace: Mount Shines With 8 ...
Image Source: Getty Images

Chelsea held on for a 3-2 win against Crystal Palace as Olivier Giroud, Christian Pulisic and Tammy Abraham each scored for the Blues. The Eagles applied the pressure late in the game but it was not enough to help them come back to win. Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke each scored in their loss.

The win moved Chelsea a step further towards a top four finish in the Premier League as they try to solidify a spot into Champions League next season.

A close match between the two London clubs and a good three points for Chelsea’s but what else can we take away from the game?

Jorginho Finally Makes His Appearance On The Pitch

Chelsea looked set to win the match when Abraham scored at the 71st minute. His goal increased their lead to 3-1 and looked as if they were going to easily cruise to a victory. A minute later, Benteke scored a goal for Palace and the game had a turn of events. The Eagles started to apply pressure and Chelsea struggled to advance the ball out of their back end.

Frank Lampard elected to bring Jorginho off the bench in the 80th minute. It was the first time the midfielder had playing time since March 3rd against Liverpool in the FA Cup and he reminded many people why he’s vital to this club. The Italian was assertive, calm and composed as he shifted the tempo of the game into Chelsea’s favour.

Image source: 90Min

He showed good awareness and provided a tactical intelligence which limited Palace from having possession. The midfielder positioned himself into areas where his teammates were able to make outlet passes. The game seemed destined for a draw but Jorginho provided a different element which helped weather the storm.

Jorginho has a good read for the game and his efforts were well warranted. He could we have earned himself a starting berth In Chelsea’s tough trip to Sheffield this weekend, depending on the fitness of N’Golo Kanté.

Should Chelsea Consider Re-signing Willian?

Back in June, Willian signed a short-term contract that will see him play with Chelsea for the remainder of the season. The ongoing rumours about Willian’s future with Chelsea haven’t died down and continues to be a main topic in the transfer rumour mill. Should Chelsea consider keeping the Brazilian beyond this season?

Willian has been one of the most productive players since the Premier League restarted. The winger has contributed to seven goals in the last five matches (including FA Cup) and has been one of the most consistent players for Chelsea. In the win against Palace, Willian finished with two assists, five key passes, two shots on target and was fouled once.

In Chelsea’s first goal, he made a great run down the right side and beat Gary Cahill. He then delivered a pass to Giroud in the six yard box which the striker converted.

Later in the match, he set-up their second goal and showed great awareness. He made a clean pass towards Christian Pulisic who made his run towards the box and sent a polarizing shot towards the back of the goal. Throughout the match, Willian showed great character as he kept running and didn’t stop until the final whistle.

Willian has been a key element to Chelsea’s success and is one if the main reasons why Chelsea are currently sitting in third place. His recent performances show what he’s able to deliver on the pitch and the club should consider keeping him on their squad.

The winger has earned praise from Lampard and has been one of his most dependable players since the restart;

“Willian was extremely influential and he and Christian [Pulisic] are a big threat for us”

Frank Lampard after the victory over Palace

“The impact Willian is having in all the games at the moment, with his speed and how he travels with the ball, and his quality, we all see it every game. he has been brilliant for us.”

Christian Pulisic Shows No Signs Of Slowing Down

Pulisic had a slow start to the season and found himself in and out of the lineup. He was frustrated with the lack of playing time, yet he knew the transition to the Premier League wasn’t going to be easy. Pulsic’s name wasn’t on the scoresheet until October 26, 2019, when he scored a hat trick versus Burnley. It was an overwhelming start to the season but the American was starting to come around under Lampard.

In January, Pulisic had a set back as he picked up a serious injury that sidelined him for the long-term. In the midst of playing good football, it was a big a blow to Chelsea. The season came to an abrupt stop in March due to Covid-19 and this allowed time for Pulisic to recover and rejoin his teammates

Image Source: AS English

Since the restart of the campaign, he has taken his game to another level where he has been more clinical and fearless. He has finished his chances in the final third which was evident in the goal he scored off Willian’s pass. In the past five matches, he has scored three goals and has looked more tenacious with the ball.

He has been one of Lampard’s most reliable players and has shown no signs of easing up. He has been an integral part of their recent success and is showing why Chelsea acquired him last season.

“Christian is hugely important”

Frank Lampard

“He has great talent, we know that. At the start he came here in difficult conditions in terms of him not really having had a break, but he started to play really well and now he has moved his game to another level, not just in how he is going to by people but there is real-end product”

“You look at the top attacking players in the world and they score goals and make assists regularly that win games and at the moment he is doing that, so I am delighted with him.”

There’s our three takeaways from the victory over Palace, let us know what you thought of the match!

Written by Jerry Mancini.