Arteta Invites Giroud Into Arsenal Changing Room After Lille Win

Olivier Giroud has revealed that Mikel Arteta invited him into the Arsenal changing room following the Gunners’ 3-0 victory over his Lille side at The Emirates on Tuesday night.

The French striker received a warm welcome from the home crowd as he came off the bench in the second half after Arsenal pulled clear through goals from Jurriën Timber, Eberechi Eze and Bukayo Saka.

Lille frustrated the Gunners in the first half, though a seven-minute blitz after the hour mark ensured Arsenal took all three points to continue their perfect start to the league-phase campaign.

Speaking to Canal+ Sport after the match, Giroud explained that Arteta asked him to join the squad afterwards so the two could share the occasion together.

He revealed, ‘Mikel told me to come into the dressing room so we could enjoy the moment together. It was amazing, a really special feeling, with some unique emotions after five years here.’

Giroud and Arteta were teammates at Arsenal for four seasons, after the striker joined from Montpellier in the summer of 2012. Arteta was club captain for much of that period before retiring in 2016 and moving into coaching alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

The pair shared an embrace on the pitch after the full-time whistle, before exchanging words with former Chelsea tammate Kai Havertz.

Giroud then also did a lap of appreciation to the remaining home fans, before making his way down the tunnel.

The Frenchman went on to score more than 100 goals for the club and played a key role in ending Arsenal’s nine-year wait for a trophy, winning the FA Cup in 2014 before lifting it again in 2015 and 2017.

One of his most memorable moments came in January 2017, when he scored a stunning scorpion kick against Crystal Palace at the Emirates. The goal went on to win the FIFA Puskás Award for the best goal of the year.

Giroud left for Chelsea in January 2018, and later enjoyed spells with AC Milan, where he won Serie A, and Los Angeles FC, before joining Lille in 2025. He also won the World Cup with France in 2018 and is his country’s all-time leading goalscorer.

The Frenchman scored the opener for Chelsea in the 2019 Europa League final, as Arsenal were defeated 4-1 in Baku, before controversially being filmed saying, 'Thank you Arsenal!' whilst holding the trophy on the team bus.

Now 40, Giroud continues to play a part for Davide Ancelotti’s side, though he could do little to stop Arsenal from making it two wins from two in this season’s league phase.

The Gunners have now gone a record 14 matches unbeaten in the Champions League league phase, and return to Premier League action when they travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday.