Olivier Giroud: I'm coming for you Monaco!

OLIVIER GIROUD has promised Monaco they will face a different striker to the one who missed a hatful of chances against them in the first leg of their Champions League clash a fortnight ago.

Olivier Giroud after he scored Arsenal’s opener against West HamEPA

Olivier Giroud after he scored Arsenal’s opener against West Ham

The France international was back on top form on Saturday, scoring the crucial first and playing a part in both the late Arsenal goals that finally pulled apart West Ham's dogged resistance.

A 3-0 scoreline is precisely what they need in the principality tomorrow if they are to overcome the 3-1 first-leg reversal at the Emirates – a deficit that could have been helped immeasurably if Giroud had converted any of a hatful of chances that came his way that night.

Giroud said: "There are always tough moments like that because we do a hard job. If you let the doubts enter your head it's even more difficult to cope.

"You have to question yourself every week and bounce back. I try to show my answer on the pitch with my mentality. It was nice to do it against West Ham.

"I try to bounce back as quick as I can and it's true the boss gave me a chance to do it against Everton last week. I try to do it straight away.

"Football is a sport where you need to have a strong mentality because you have to face some difficulties. It's like life.

"Even when you play well and score a lot of goals, if you miss some game everything is forgotten.

"You have to have a conscience about it and be aware. Don't believe the people who talk too much about football.

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal is a different team

"I'm not used to reading the media. I know when I play well or not. I know how to bounce back.

"I used to say that football is an everlasting new beginning. You have to be aware of that and do it."

Patience is the watchword and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger sounded also Jose Mourinho-like when he pointed out how late the goals were on Saturday.

I try to bounce back as quick as I can and it's true the boss gave me a chance to do it against Everton last week. I try to do it straight away

Olivier Giroud

"Minute 44, minute 81, minute 84," he intoned. "The way we get the result we need in Monaco is doing what we did today: going until the last second, be patient, play a quality game.

"We can go there and create something special. We will have the desire to do it and give absolutely everything to do it."

Recent near-misses against Bayern Munich and AC Milan have left him with nothing but a 'gallant loser' tag.

"That's not what you want," he said. "You want to qualify. We have got it wrong in the first game. What you want in life is the chance to put it right. We have the opportunity to put it right and after, no matter what, we will be ready to give everything to do it."

Belief in the West Ham dressing room is rather less strong after just one win in the last 12 games and Sam Allardyce's decision to opt out of his press duties following the game gave a chance for it to be put to his assistant Neil McDonald the club appear simply to be treading water until a decision is finally made on the West Ham manager's future.

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"It would be nice for that to be sorted wouldn't it, yes?" he said. "But the manager has stated it will be sorted at the end of the season and if that's the way they do it, that's the way they do it.

"If it's affecting the players, I'm not so sure it is because the performances have been really good even though the results haven't been brilliant and over the next four or five games we've got a great chance.

"There are all difficult games in the Premiership but we feel as though we've got a good chance of putting more points on the board and pushing up that table towards a target that we set."

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Ospina 6; Chambers 6, Mertesacker 6, Koscielny 6, Monreal 6; Coquelin 7, Ramsey 8; Walcott 5 (Cazorla 73, 5), Ozil 7 (Flamini 83), Sanchez 6 (Welbeck 65, 6); Giroud 9. Booked: Sanchez. Goals: Giroud 45, Ramsey 81, Flamini 84. NEXT UP: Monaco (a) tomorrow, CL.

WEST HAM (4-1-4-1): Adrian 8; O'Brien 6, Collins 7, Kouyate 7, Cresswell 6; Song 7; Downing 6, Noble 7, Nolan 6, Jarvis 6 (Amalfitano 75, 5); Sakho 6. Booked: Sakho. NEXT UP: Sunderland (h) Sat, PL.

REFEREE: C Foy (Merseyside) (A Taylor (Cheshire) 60).

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