Wembley specialist Olivier Giroud hopes he will be Chelsea’s “lucky charm” against his former club Arsenal in the FA Cup Final.
The Frenchman has won 12 of his 13 club appearances at the national stadium and scored there on Sunday to set Chelsea on their way to a 3-0 victory over Manchester United.
Giroud once joked that Wembley is “my garden” and the 33-year-old striker now has his sights on a fifth FA Cup winner’s medal.
Chelsea set up an all-London Final on August 1 as Frank Lampard masterminded a dominant victory over United, after Arsenal had beaten Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday.
Giroud said: “I have a nice record at Wembley in the FA Cup, so will try one more time to be the lucky charm. I am very happy at Chelsea, I am a Blue. I just want to win more trophies and we have an opportunity to do it.
“I have been lucky to win four FA Cups and, hopefully, this is going to be the fifth one. It is going to be another tough game against Arsenal.
“It is going to be special one more time, like last year in the Europa League Final [Giroud scored as Chelsea beat Arsenal 4-1 in Baku].”
Lampard outwitted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a switch to a back three and his side produced arguably their best display of the season yesterday, but Chelsea were helped by some shocking goalkeeping from David De Gea.
Giroud, who joined Chelsea from Arsenal for £18million in January 2018, has been rejuvenated at Stamford Bridge.
He proved too much of a handful for Harry Maguire yesterday and scored his fifth goal since the restart when his flicked effort squirmed under De Gea to put Chelsea ahead.
De Gea then let a shot from Mason Mount slip through his fingers and an own goal from Maguire sealed an victory that leaves Lampard one win away from a trophy in his first season as Chelsea manager.
Giroud said: “When the gaffer gave me the opportunity to come back in the team I just tried to show him I was ready to respond to his confidence. I have tried to build from there and now I feel very confident.”
On a good day for Chelsea, their hopes of securing a place in next season’s Champions League were given a boost after top-four rivals Leicester lost 3-0 at Tottenham.
In Pictures | Manchester United vs Chelsea, FA Cup | 19/07/2020
The Blues now know one win in their final two games of the season, against Liverpool and Wolves, will secure a top-four finish.
Doubters questioned whether Lampard was ready for the Chelsea job last summer but a trophy and a place in the top four would represent an incredible season, given the Blues lost Eden Hazard last summer and were handed a transfer ban by FIFA.
Lampard said: “The three games in front of us are massive. I do not want to put everything on three games defining the progress we have made, but of course we want a top-four finish and we want to win the Final.
“I understand the tough challenge ahead in playing Arsenal. We have got two finals before that in the League. And then we take on an Arsenal team that have confidence, are playing well, have got a good manager, good players.
“It will be a London derby, so I am aware how tough it will be.”