MX23RW : Monday, February 3 09:04:23| >> :60:390:390:

Gianfranco Zola: 'Olivier Giroud will help Alvaro Morata at Chelsea'

Gianfranco Zola tips Olivier Giroud to be an asset for Alvaro Morata at Chelsea.

Former Chelsea forward Gianfranco Zola has tipped Olivier Giroud to succeed at Stamford Bridge.

The Frenchman made the controversial choice to join one of Arsenal's London rivals on transfer deadline day in a deal that cost a reported £18m.

Giroud spent five-and-a-half years at the Emirates, but dropped down the pecking order in recent seasons and was restricted to just one Premier League start in the current campaign.

Antonio Conte's hunt for a powerful striker led the Chelsea boss to the 31-year-old, who will likely act as back-up to Alvaro Morata.

Giroud had to watch from the stands on Wednesday night as the West London club suffered a shock 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on home soil.

Zola, who played for the Blues between 1996 and 2003, believes that Giroud could prove to be an asset in Conte's team.

"Giroud is certainly a player who can make an impact," the Italian told talkSPORT. "For example, yesterday he would have made a big difference because of the type of game Chelsea had to play. He has the qualities.

"He can also certainly help Morata and allow him to take a breather during games. I think he can be successful at Chelsea."

Giroud could make his debut in Monday's Premier League trip to Watford.

ID:317722: cacheID:317722:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2547:
Written by
Danielle Joynson
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Olivier Giroud on his knees during the Europa League group game between Arsenal and Red Star Belgrade on November 2, 2017
Read Next:
Wright unhappy with Giroud exit rumours
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool23175156213556
2Arsenal24148249222750
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest24145540271347
4Manchester CityMan City24125748351341
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle24125742291341
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth24117641281340
8Aston Villa2410773437-337
9Fulham249963632436
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2481063538-334
11Brentford2494114242031
12Crystal Palace247982830-230
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd2485112834-629
14Tottenham HotspurSpurs24831348371127
15West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
16Everton236892328-526
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2454153452-1819
18Leicester CityLeicester2445152553-2817
19Ipswich TownIpswich2437142249-2716
20Southampton2423191854-369


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!