Olivier Giroud netted a hat-trick to propel Arsenal to a 3-0 win at Olympiakos yesterday and send the Gunners through to the Champions League knockout stages at the expense of the Greeks. Europe will have seen that performance and I think a lot of teams will want to avoid us now after that.
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When asked whether it ranked as one of his best European wins, he replied: “Yes, certainly because we needed a ideal performance to score without conceding”. “Giroud’s performance was ideal”, Wenger said.
“It will make us stronger and strengthen the belief of the squad”. We needed something special to switch it on and come back like we did.
Moreover, the win preserved Arsenal’s superb record in the Champions League, having now qualified for the competition’s second stage for the 16th time in succession, and that will be a tradition they are keen to continue.
Arsenal went into the sixth and final Group F matchday three points adrift of second-placed Olympiacos and knowing they had to win by two clear goals to see them leapfrog the hosts. It’s a special night we were in escape mode before the game and we needed something special.
“Nine times out of 10 you are out (after such a poor start)”.
In what was a straight shootout for the second spot in the group at the Georgios Karaiskakis stadium, Giroud opened the scoring with a stooping header from Aaron Ramsey’s cross just before the half-hour.
“This is a team, and they showed it again”.
And the England forward insists no-one will fancy getting Arsenal in Monday’s Champions League draw after they beat the odds.
Zenit St Petersburg, managed by former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas, Manchester United’s conquerors Wolfsburg or the Spanish trio of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are the the quintet of clubs who could meet Wenger’s men in the first knock-out stage. He’s in possession of the shirt and he has the chance to prove people wrong.
“At the moment we have two or three super-favourites [for the competition] and whoever gets through will have to chase them”.
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Giroud has scored 13 goals in 23 appearances for the club this season and Cech has singled out the Frenchman for praise. We had the opportunities to score but our goal was at risk. Wednesday night was one of his best performances on all fronts… They had suffered upset defeats by the hands of Olympiakos and Dinamo Zagreb within the first leg which had thrown a cloud over their probabilities of advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of the Champions League. Find us on Facebook too!
