[ad_1]
Frank Lampard has hailed Olivier Giroud as “the best professional” after his four-goal salvo in the Champions League in Seville.
French forward Giroud scored a perfect hat-trick and then added a penalty as Chelsea sealed the top spot in Group E with a game to spare by beating Sevilla 4-0 in Spain.
French forward Giroud scored a perfect hat-trick and then added a penalty as Chelsea sealed the top spot in Group E with a game to spare by beating Sevilla 4-0 in Spain.
Former Arsenal player Giroud could seek a move away from Chelsea in January to win more regular football, having lagged behind Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner in Chelsea’s pecking order.
However, Blues boss Lampard has gone out of his way to express how important he continues to be at Chelsea, once again offering the highest compliments in light of his latest scoring exploits.
“He is the best professional, and I think he has done it throughout his career,” Lampard said.
‘I think that’s why with Oli you see his numbers for France and in the Champions League.
“ He wasn’t always a regular before I came here, but as soon as I walked in I could feel the positivity of him as a player, how he wants to train, how he wants to affect people, whether he starts or not.
And now it’s started a lot for us and it’s been very shocking in terms of how he was on the restart and performances like tonight.
‘So it’s a great sign for the younger players and for other players when they are not always playing in the 20+ team, we have that happens of course.
‘So they keep training well, and when they come in, they perform like they did tonight.
“That was a really complete performance in the circumstances tonight.”
Chelsea host Leeds on Saturday in a return to Premier League action, when Giroud will rightly hope to start shooting four goals in Spain.
Abraham and Werner, the £ 53 million summer recruit, have been the most common striking options in the top flight this quarter.
Giroud, the World Cup winner, now has 44 goals for France and remains determined to head to Euro 2021 as Les Bleus’ main attacking option.
Lampard is well aware that Giroud needs regular action to keep French coach Didier Deschamps happy, and he admitted it would be very difficult not to start Giroud against Leeds.
When asked if it would be difficult to leave Giroud out against Leeds, Lampard said: ‘Yeah, and that’s what he will ask, I guess, when he makes nine changes.
“I always say that when I choose the team I try to choose the best team for the game, and not have favorites as such.
“You try to put the best team on paper, but when the players play like they did today they give you a big problem.
“It is having a top-level player playing with quality and dedication.
‘It was an incredible performance from Oli, scoring four goals at this level, Champions League level, against a really good opponent.
“The individual quality of all his goals, I know the last was a penalty, but the quality of the team and their individual contribution rightly receives a standing ovation when he leaves the field. And I’m delighted for him. ‘
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
