Two-goal Giroud keeps focus on team, not himself, after Chelsea’s 4-0 win over PAOK

Olivier Giroud will be sorry to see the end of November. He’s scored five goals since the calendar flipped to the eleventh month — against BATE on the 8th, then for France, then the late face-saver against Tottenham on Sunday, and finally a tremendous two-goal haul on Thursday against PAOK. For a nearly 3.5-game stretch, he was the only Chelsea player seemingly capable of finding the back of the net, until young Callum Hudson-Odoi broke that streak of four in a row.

Delighted as Giroud was with his brace of first-time shots, the eternal team-man stayed in his team-man role afterwards. Giroud had called on the team to better adhere to Sarri’s basic principles earlier this week, and he will have surely been happy with the team’s response in the 4-0 win.

“The main target was to win, we needed a strong team reaction and we did it well tonight. I am really happy with the team spirit and we can move forwards now and start some new momentum.

“I’ve scored goals in the past but it’s true that I was waiting for more chances. You need a bit of luck in front of goal. I had a good assist from my team-mates, I love this kind of ball behind the defence.

“Four goals plus a clean sheet, a good night for us. When the manager starts me I try to give my best, do my part.”

-Olivier Giroud; source: BT Sport

Giroud now has five goals, two behind the man he’s trying to displace (Morata got one his own own).

But Maurizio Sarri has to be welcoming the sight of both of his strikers coming to life just as the going gets hard in the fourth month of his tenure.