Olivier Giroud claimed he was delighted with a goal upon return to action at Stamford Bridge in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in what he labelled a ‘special day’.
The 33-year-old striker was called upon to spearhead the Blues into the London derby as he made his first Premier League start since November 2019.
Frank Lampard entrusted Giroud with responsibility to lead the line having impressed off the bench against Manchester United and ultimately repaid his manager’s faith.
‘It was a special day’
The World Cup winning target man claimed his opening goal made his day 'special' having spent three months in the stands and out of action.
Giroud was relieved he was able to bounce back from his woes and help his side secure a hard-fought win over Spurs.
“It’s been three months in the stands, so it was a special day for me and for all of us,” began the Frenchman. “I feel really happy!
“It was a very important game for us. I want to talk about the team spirit. We showed great character. We knew it was maybe a kind of turning point because we lost a bit of confidence at home.
“It was nice to bounce back and get this hard win against a rival.”
Jorginho’s wonderful pass
Giroud may have stolen the limelight with his excellently taken goal, however, Jorginho’s perfectly weighted lobbed pass was hailed by the striker.
A pass that had glimpses of his assist for Tammy Abraham in November against Watford – almost Déjà Vu.
“It’s a good movement with Jorginho,” continued Giroud, as he explained his goal “It was a good understanding and I knew the ball would be there.
“It was on my right foot; I couldn’t get it on my left one, so I tried to finish. Ross followed the action and I was lucky the ball came back after hitting the post. It was a good feeling for me, a good moment and I am so happy to have helped the team to win.”