Former Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has lent his support to Viktor Djoekers, who is struggling at the start of the new season. The Frenchman urged the Swedish forward to remain confident after losing his starting position to Kai Havertz.
Djoekers has yet to find the back of the net this season, with the 28-year-old having started only twice — once against Napoli in the Champions League and again against Ipswich in the EFL Cup.
However, the forward is enjoying a better time on the international stage, scoring four goals in four matches during the Nations League while on international duty.
Giroud, who is preparing to face his former club as a part of Lille, shared his experiences in a press conference ahead of the Champions League match.
The Frenchman stated:
It took me time too. You need to be resilient, maintain psychological stability, work hard in training, and believe that you can achieve incredible things.
Having spent six years at the North London club, Giroud is all too familiar with the pressures faced by Arsenal strikers. He netted 105 goals in 253 Premier League matches but often faced criticism for not scoring enough.
According to Giroud, coping with expectations is a vital trait for any forward at a top club.
He added:
Strikers must learn to handle such pressure if they want to reach the highest level. Djoekers and Havertz have both shown their qualities, so I’m not worried about them.
Djoekers joined Arsenal from Sporting and has scored 21 goals in 61 appearances for the Gunners. This season, however, he is finding it tough due to competition from Havertz.
With limited playing time, the Swedish striker has already been linked with a potential move away from the club, with Atletico Madrid and AC Milan among the interested parties, although there are no concrete negotiations at this stage.
Meanwhile, Arsenal is gearing up to face Lille in the Champions League. Mikel Arteta's team kicked off their European campaign with a 1-0 win over Napoli, and they recently triumphed against Leeds in the Premier League (2-1), thanks to goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes.
Djoekers must seize every opportunity to transfer his international form to the club and regain Arteta’s trust.
