Giroud hungry for more Cup success
Frenchman aims to stay unbeaten at Wembley, kick-start his collection of trophies with Chelsea
>> LONDON: Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is aiming to extend his love affair with the FA Cup as Antonio Conte’s men prepare to face Southampton in today’s semi-final.
Giroud lifted the trophy with Arsenal in 2014, 2015 and 2017 before his Stamford Bridge switch earlier this season and is hungry for more Wembley success with the Blues.
Chelsea’s title defence never really got off the ground this season and they remain five points off the top four despite beating Burnley on Thursday but Giroud knows the importance of fighting for cup success.
“I signed here to win trophies. If I win it again, it would be my fourth FA Cup in five years,” said the Frenchman, whose side would face Manchester United or Tottenham in the final if they beat relegation-threatened Southampton.
“I want to carry on the good momentum because I was unbeaten at Wembley with Arsenal and I want to do it with Chelsea too.
“Of course the FA Cup is very important. Since I have been in England everyone talks about the Premier League but the FA Cup is massive as well. I understand that and I really want it for the fans.”
Giroud, 31, said Chelsea could compete strongly in the Premier League next season despite the disappointments of the current campaign but the club want to finish the season on a high.
The forward lined up in a front two with Alvaro Morata at Turf Moor, a combination that showed signs of promise without either man getting on the scoresheet.
The Frenchman was supportive of his Spanish teammate, happy to act as a foil rather than a rival.
“We haven’t played together much but it is easy to play with this kind of player, we can find each other easily on the pitch,” he said.
BENTLEY PASSES AWAY
Roy Bentley, who captained Chelsea to their first league title and was the last remaining member of the England squad famously humbled by the United States at the 1950 World Cup, has died aged 93, the club announced on Friday.
Bentley, an effective centre-forward who scored nine goals in his 12 appearances for England, skippered Chelsea to the 1955 league crown, scoring 21 goals in the campaign.
“Chelsea Football Club is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Roy Bentley, our first trophy-winning captain and star of our 1955 League Championship team,” read the club’s tribute. “All at Chelsea send our condolences to his family and friends.”
He spent eight years at Stamford Bridge after signing in January 1948, finishing top scorer in seven consecutive seasons and amassing 150 goals from 367 appearances, the joint-fifth highest goals total in Chelsea history.
Having served in the Royal Navy during World War II, Bentley’s first club in peace-time was Newcastle United where he played alongside legends such as Jackie Milburn and Len Shackleton.
His international career was fairly eventful, being labelled the ‘man who robbed Scotland of Rio’ as his goal gave England a 1-0 win over the Scots and a place in the 1950 World Cup finals in Brazil.
England, though, were to suffer perhaps historically their most embarrassing loss at those finals being beaten 1-0 by the United States.
Bentley was the last surviving member of that squad.