Olivier Giroud Hits Back at Claims of Arsenal Fatigue

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has hit back at claims that fatigue is threatening to derail his side's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

The Gunners came through a demanding 120 minutes to beat Wigan Athletic on penalties on Saturday evening but return to Premier League action on Tuesday for the visit of West Ham United.

Injuries have worked to wreck Arsenal's challenge for the Premier League title and Arsene Wenger is faced with further concerns with Mikel Arteta and Kim Kallstrom his only central midfield options not awaiting late fitness tests ahead of kick off.

Giroud came off the bench in the second half of Saturday's win at Wembley after his manager opted to hand his striker a rest and the Frenchman has dismissed suggestions fatigue will play a role in their clash against the Hammers.

"It is okay. In the last weeks, we played just once in the week so we have had a good rest," Giroud told the club's official website.

"We have a great opportunity to write a really big page of Arsenal's history, to qualify for the Champions League and to win the FA Cup final. It will be an exciting finish.

"We need to keep the good things we did against Wigan and, even if we are to be tired, I think it is really good for our heads to win the semi-final.

"We know that we have to win every single game. We are going to have six finals now, it I can say that. Hopefully Everton will lose some points, maybe against the two Manchester clubs or Southampton. Every single game will be tough for everyone so let's do the job first and we will have a look at where we are. "

Arsenal can move back into fourth place with a win over Sam Allardyce's side although Everton can leapfrog them once again when they take on Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

With Mathieu Flamini suspended, Wenger's options have been further limited for the visit of Sam Allardyce's side.

The Gunners' boss suggested on Monday that Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could start on the bench while Lukas Podolski, Tomas Rosicky and Nacho Monreal are awaiting late fitness tests. However, Laurent Koscielny could also make his return after a three week absence.