|
Olivier Giroud has told RMC he is in his "best spell" since moving to Arsenal. Giroud, 28, struck twice in the 2-1 Premier League win over Newcastle on Saturday, meaning he has now scored nine goals in his last nine games for the Gunners. The France international has 13 league goals from 19 appearances in total this season, and he insists he has not been in better form since his move to the club from Montpellier in 2012. "It's my best spell since I've been at Arsenal. I have to keep it going, I don't want to stop," Giroud said. "I scored 16 or 17 goals last season in the league. I would like to do better, and above all help the team achieve our objectives. That's the most important thing. "Finishing second or third would be very good, even if we'll be ready if Chelsea slip up. Winning the FA Cup is also an objective. I am continuing my progress. I feel really good at Arsenal. It's important to keep improving." Giroud, currently with the France squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Denmark, has scored every 97 minutes this season in the Premier League. "I saw that statistic, it's an interesting one," he said. "That means that there has been an improvement since I arrived at Arsenal. The coach keeps telling me. I have improved in a lot of areas of the game. I want to continue, I can still do better. I still have plenty of good years ahead of me." Giroud's prolific form in front of goal of late has provided the perfect response to the striker's critics. His wasteful display in Arsenal's 3-1 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie against Monaco got plenty of attention, coming as it did shortly after he said the club did not need to sign a big-name goal scorer. "Of course, it came at a bad time, because I wasn't clinical in that game," Giroud said, referring to his spurning of a host of clear-cut opportunities in a match which helped cost Arsenal a quarterfinal place. "I got a bit of stick for that. But it's good to have shown the mental strength to come back even stronger and prove that the criticism no longer affects me. I have created a shell for myself, whether there are good or bad times. I know when I am good or not. I don't need people to tell me that."
|
