The little twists of fate are not lost on Olivier Giroud as he prepares for Baku and an end-of-season reunion with his former club.
Giroud was forced from Arsenal at a time when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang arrived and overloaded the numbers competing for the one place up front in Arsene Wenger's team.
'I was going to the boss and telling him we can change,' he said. 'I would say, 'We can put two strikers up front', but Mesut Ozil used to play No 10, like a second striker, and I was OK with that.'
Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud wants to haunt his old club Arsenal in the Europa League final
Giroud decided it was best to move on and Chelsea paid £18million. Eighteen months later, he is Maurizio Sarri's single striker, trusted to lead the line in the Europa League if rarely in the Premier League, where Gonzalo Higuain has been preferred.
The Frenchman has been prolific in Europe, with 10 goals and three assists, making him the top striker in the competition ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt's Luka Jovic.
Eintracht are out, beaten on penalties by Chelsea in the semi-finals and Jovic, who is closing in on a £52.4m move to Real Madrid, can score and assist no more.
Giroud still has one to play, the big one against Arsenal, his former club who are now managed by Unai Emery and have been propelled to the final in Baku by seven goals against Valencia from the £100m twin strike force of Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
'It seems things are different,' smiled Giroud. 'Sometimes they play two up front. When I was there it never happened.'
Giroud admits it will be 'tough' to play against Arsenal but is looking forward to the occasion
The prospect of duelling for a trophy with Arsenal, where he spent five and a half years, is sweet for the 32-year-old.
'I always like playing against my old teams,' said Giroud. 'It's going to be tough, and it could be painful if it's not going the right way, but you have to put the feelings and memories aside.
'I enjoyed the years I spent there. It has been a big part of my career, my first club in England and it will always be special, but now I feel my blood is blue. The same as the national team, blue suits me well.
'I settled in quickly. I felt like part of the family straight away. I knew a few of the players and I'm a sociable person, I always try to communicate. It wasn't difficult to integrate. I always see it as a new challenge.
