Olivier Giroud Keen to Earn Chelsea Starting Berth as Alvaro Morata's Woes Continue

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is keen to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge, despite being on the substitutes' bench for the Blues' opening three

Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud is keen to stay and fight for his place at Stamford Bridge, despite being on the substitutes' bench for the Blues' opening three Premier League games.

The 31-year-old, who lifted the World Cup this summer with France, has struggled for regular game time since arriving from London rivals Arsenal in January, and has been linked with a move away from the club.

He has found himself playing second fiddle to first choice striker Alvaro Morata, despite the Spaniard's continued struggles in front of goal. The Mirror report though that Giroud is keen to stay and fight for his place, rather than take the easy way out.

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New manager Maurizio Sarri gave Giroud an extended break following his World Cup exploits, allowing Morata the chance to shine in the Blues' opening three fixtures. The 25-year-old has netted once, but has been unable to have the kind of impact on games that both Sarri and Chelsea's supporters would have expected of the £60m striker.

As a result, Giroud is said to be in contention for a start this weekend against Bournemouth, as Chelsea look to continue their impressive start under former Napoli manager Sarri. They have won their opening three league games, seeing off the challenges of Huddersfield, Arsenal and Newcastle. 

A change up front isn't out of the realms of possibility though, with Giroud unlikely to be happy with consistently missing out on first-team selection. His Premier League record would suggest that he has every right to stake a claim for a starting spot, having scored 76 times in the Premier League since arriving in England six years ago. 

His record of three goals in 15 league games for Chelsea is unflattering, though many of those appearances have come from the bench.