Ask any football fan to list their all-time favourite Premier League goals and, before long, you’ll hear the words ‘Olivier Giroud’ and ‘scorpion kick’.
The Frenchman undoubtedly scored one of the best goals in the history of English football when he opened the scoring for Arsenal against cross-town rivals Crystal Palace in January 2017. The Gunners went on to win that game 2-0, with Alex Iwobi grabbing a second which is now almost completely forgotten due to the ludicrously tough act it followed.
For Giroud, his scorpion kick (a goal scored on the volley with the heel of your raised leg) wasn’t merely a moment of magic, but an act of divine intervention.
‘That day, everything was perfect’ Arsenal legend Olivier Giroud recalls the greatest goal he ever scored
“I was touched by God's grace that day,” Giroud tells FourFourTwo as part of an exclusive chat. “I’m a Christian, a man of faith, and I believe in God’s will.
“That day, everything was perfect. The whole move was just right. The timing of the run, the execution, the fact the ball hit the crossbar before finding the back of the net. I could never do it again.”
When asked if his is the greatest scorpion kick goal of all time, the Frenchman, still playing at the age of 39 with Lille in his homeland, is adamant.
“I honestly don’t know if you will see another goal like that again,” he grins. “We’ve seen other scorpion kicks down the years but I believe my one was truly special.”
Giroud, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, admits the goal is one of the moments he is best remembered by, with people all over the world desperate to ask him about that moment.
“That day changed my life,” he reveals. “I have seen that video and been shown it so many times, wherever I go around the world. Maybe the game as a whole wasn’t so influential, but that moment, from a personal perspective, had a massive impact on me.”
This article was sponsored by Premier League ticket prices and availability.
