Scorpion-kick goal was just luck: Arsenal striker Giroud

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has admitted that his spectacular scorpion-kick strike against Crystal Palace in an English Premier League (EPL) football match here was down to luck.

Though acknowledging that he had been inspired by Manchester United forward Henrikh Mkhitaryan's goal, Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud on Sunday admitted his spectacular scorpion-kick strike against Crystal Palace was down to luck at the Emirates Stadium.

The French international helped Arsenal take the lead in the 17th minute in the 2-0 victory on Sunday, when he turned in a cross from Alexis Sanchez with a left-footed volley that went over his own head and into the net via the underside of the bar.

"I went to the first post and Alexis gave me the ball a bit behind me and I tried to take it from back heel and I have maximum luck. It's just about luck, I was not good balance. It was a great feeling and even more because I wanted to score from the first minute from the natural cross and it was a bit short. That's why I really wanted to score...," he told his club's official website.

"It is not difficult to say it is the best one (I've scored). I was a bit lucky but it was the only thing I could do, the ball was behind me and I tried to hit it with a back-heel," he added.

"Maybe (Mkhitaryan's) goal inspired me. That's the only thing, one more time, we can do in that position. It's nice for me, for the team, because we wanted to start well the year and here we go."

Arsenal's head coach Arsene Wenger, who gave Giroud a second straight EPL start, also showered praises on the 30-year-old and said: "He transformed that goal, I would say, into art. Art is there because of the surprise, because of the beauty of the movement. It will be remembered as the Giroud goal that nobody will forget."

--IANS

dm/gau/pur/vt