Former Blue Olivier Giroud has opened up on the differences in mentality between London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal in an honest interview.
The 34-year-old departed Stamford Bridge in the summer and has opened up on his move away from the club after winning the Champions League.
Talking to the Athletic, Giroud revealed all.
When asked about the difference between Chelsea and Arsenal, Giroud openly admitted: “At Chelsea, when you are not scoring enough goals, they might pick up another striker to replace you. Maybe in a club like Chelsea, you have less time to show your qualities than at Arsenal. That’s the main difference and the last 10 years show that Chelsea have won more trophies.
“But they spend much more money than Arsenal. I loved playing at Arsenal with Arsene Wenger. It was my childhood dream and I can never thank him enough. But it was so hard to fight for the title. Always the target was for us to finish in the top four. To fight for the title was too difficult."
"The money is huge. If you win the Champions League and buy a striker at £90 million, it shows the money is huge. But there might be something else that makes Chelsea win more than Arsenal. Maybe we’re (Chelsea) more demanding because you have to fight for the title from the start of the season."
Giroud went on to discuss the ambition that Chelsea showed as they sacked Frank Lampard for underperforming, believing that Arsenal would not have done the same.
He finished: "We were ninth when Frank was sacked… maybe if it was at Arsenal, they would have given him longer to come back. At Chelsea it never happens, and that’s why you have to be good sooner.”
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