Giroud on the bench at the Emirates: Ueda starts for Lille against Arsenal

Olivier Giroud will not reunite with the Emirates Stadium as a starter. For LOSC’s trip to Arsenal on Tuesday in the Champions League, manager Bruno Genesio has chosen Ayase Ueda in attack, relegating the 2018 World Cup winner to the bench.

Yet the 38-year-old striker had not hidden his ambitions during the international break: « Yes, I want to play against Arsenal! The manager keeps saying we can play together but over the last three matches, I’ve been sitting on the bench. He shouldn’t think I’m going to be satisfied with that. But I’m so happy to go to the Emirates, it’s great. Honestly, I was dreaming of it. » A starter on Saturday in Ligue 1 against Le Havre, Giroud understood that this status would not carry over to European competition.

In his pre-match press conference, Lille’s number 9 had spoken of the symbolic importance of this fixture: « It was something I wanted, knowing we were qualified for the Champions League. I knew Milan and Chelsea weren’t part of it so I was secretly hoping to come back here to the Emirates. » Giroud wore the Arsenal shirt from 2012 to 2018, scoring 105 goals in the Gunners’ colours.

Sportively, the stakes are considerable for the Dogues, who are seeking their first point in the league phase after an opening defeat to Real Betis. Facing them, Arsenal can rely on players in form, including Gyökeres, Saka and Ödegaard. Giroud measured the challenge with lucidity: « If we want a chance to win this match, Lille will have to be at its best level. We’ll arrive with a lot of humility but also with the desire to shake up this team. »

Lille’s starting eleven sees Ueda paired with Haraldsson, Bakwa and Perrin in the attacking sector. Giroud, meanwhile, will wait his turn on the bench, in a stadium where he remains one of the most popular strikers in the club’s history.