Olivier Giroud has admitted that scoring five goals since the start of 2016 has cost him his place in the Arsenal starting lineup.

The Frenchman started and scored for his country in their friendly against the Netherlands on Friday night but he knows that he has some work to do if he is to regain the place in the starting lineup at Arsenal that has been taken by Danny Welbeck.

Speaking after the game, Giroud said “When the coach calls on me, I try to be efficient, it’s good for the confidence. 

“Since early 2016, I scored 5 goals for my club. 

“The coach thinks this is not enough and it cost me my place, but I already knew that and I worked, it does not make me worry, it will come.”

Giroud has been underfire ever since he joined Arsenal and struggled to shake the ‘flop’ tag he was unfairly labelled with not long after arriving in England.

Never the most prolific striker, his goal return as well as overall contribution to the Arsenal side is usually vastly underappreciated, but there is no denying that recently he has been out of form.

Already the papers have started to link him with a move away, but Giroud has more about him than that.

He will stay and he will fight for his place.

And that can only be a good thing for Arsenal.