Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Olivier Giroud hopes to score more than Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal

Olivier Giroud has set his sights on outscoring teammate Alexis Sanchez to help give Arsenal a successful end to the season.

Third in the Premier League, pushing for automatic Champions League qualification and with an outside chance of the title, Arsenal can also defend the FA Cup having reached the semifinals.

In addition to two FA Cup goals, Giroud, 28, has contributed 13 Premier League strikes to the Gunners' cause this season, as has Sanchez.

Giroud told RMC he has set himself the target of out-scoring the Chilean come the end of the campaign.

"I'm not going to say something silly because it'll be reported, but why not finish ahead of Alexis?" the France international forward said. "We push each other, we're on 13 goals, and I would like to score some more to help the team achieve its objectives."

Despite his excellent current form with his club, Giroud remains behind Karim Benzema at international level with the Real Madrid man Didier Deschamps' first-choice in the France coach's preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Giroud was criticised for publicly stating he would be disappointed not to start France's World Cup opener with Honduras last summer, a game for which he was on the bench at kickoff.

He again found himself among the substitutes when Les Bleus took on Brazil in last week's friendly, but was handed a starting role against Denmark on Sunday, scoring his nation's second in a 2-0 win as Benzema was rested.

Stung by the reaction to his claim to a starting place last summer, Giroud admitted he is now more careful about what he says.

He said: "I have no demand to make. It's not me who picks the team. I get the impression I'm repeating myself, but it's the truth.

"What's important for me is to be called up and to contribute as soon as I can. Sometimes I'm criticised for being too honest in what I say, so I am trying to be more considered and straight bat things a bit more, I'm sorry."

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