Giroud: Arsenal don't need a new striker in January

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has urged Arsene Wenger not to buy a striker in the January transfer window.

Goal understands the Gunners have drawn up a wish list of five stellar names to pursue when the market reopens on Wednesday, while many pundits suggest Wenger needs a quality forward to compete with Giroud.

The Gunners came from behind to beat West Ham on Boxing Day thanks to two goals from Theo Walcott and one from the returning Lukas Podolski, before Giroud struck the decisive goal against Newcastle on Sunday, and the France striker believes the club are well-stocked in attack.

"We have the players to play up front," he said in an interview aired by Canal+ on Sunday morning, before his strike saw off the Magpies at St James' Park. "Lukas is having a good come-back. Theo can play as a striker. We have the quality and the quantity. If the coach wants me to rest, he can do it without buying a new striker. I would rather not see a new striker come in.

"I always have to recover, to get massages, to eat well, to sleep well. This is how we live. I am lucky to not be injury-prone. I have a body that tolerates the accumulation of games."

Giroud's winner against Alan Pardew's side was his first league goal in five outings, and he admitted that things have not been going well for him following a blistering start to the campaign.

"Not to score, for a forward, is a bit boring," he continued. "There's a lack of luck... not being in the right place at the right time. Luck was on my side at the start of the season. Not any more.

"I know my quality, I know it's going to come back. As a striker, I'm the first defender of the team. It’s always a pleasure to help the team win back the ball. This is modern football, it's all about pressing."

Arsenal have 'special' mental strength - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes that his side have developed something "special" by way of their improved mental strength after watching them beat Newcastle 1-0.

The visitors took the lead midway through the second half through Olivier Giroud and, not for the first time this season, they showed great resilience as they staved off late pressure from the Magpies to take all three points.

The Gunners have consistently been at the right end of the table but have not won the title since 2004 and Wenger feels that they have finally taken a step forward mentally this season.

"There is something in the team that is special on that front, on the mental front, where we have many times been questioned," the Frenchman told the press.

"We have shown that at West Ham when we were 1-0 down and we have shown it [on Sunday] with our backs against the wall a little in the last 15 minutes. There is a great solidarity and a great spirit in the side.

"For years we were younger. We have always been up there at the top. This time last year we were out of the championship race but in 2013 we have been very consistent."

The Arsenal boss would not be drawn on whether or not his side are capable of winning the league, though, stating that it is still to early for title talk just yet.

"We believe in ourselves and we are determined to give our best absolutely and to turn back on this season at the end and think we have given our best," he remarked. "I hope it will be enough, of course, but it's a long way to go, it's too early to say that."

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew, meanwhile, expressed his disappointment with some of the decisions made by referee Lee Probert at St James's Park but argued that his players could take a lot of encouragement from their performance.

"Really and truly, we've come out on the wrong side here," the Magpies boss claimed. "A few breaks went against in terms of decisions and that was probably the difference.

"There was definitely a foul on [Vurnon] Anita, without a shadow of a doubt. I don'’t want to say the referee had a poor game but sometimes he sees these calls and sometimes they go your way, sometimes they don't. At Stoke we had all the calls go our way and today perhaps we're on the other side of it.

"A lot of my players can take massive players in the way they performed in that game.

"We've got our best players fit - if we can keep them fit for the rest of the season then we can replicate what we've done in the first half of the season, maybe even better it."

Chelsea not aggressive enough against Arsenal, admits Mourinho

Jose Mourinho bemoaned Chelsea's lack of sharpness in attacking areas following their 0-0 draw at Arsenal on Monday.

Chances proved to be few and far between at the Emirates Stadium but the Blues created several good openings, with Frank Lampard going closest as he struck the underside of the bar in the first half.

The visitors were left to settle for a point - a result that extends Mourinho's unbeaten run against Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to 10 matches - and the Portuguese felt that his side controlled the game.

"It was a tactical match," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "A match that Arsenal want to win but didn't want to lose and Chelsea wants to win but doesn't want to lose.

"The goalkeeper was not in the game, we controlled the game defensively. It was important not to lose and be five points behind the leaders."

But Mourinho was quick to criticise his side for failing to capitalise on their few attacking openings in the game, and hinted that their profligacy forced him to play for a draw.

"We had the biggest chance of the game," he added. "I'm glad we have goalline technology so nobody could complain when Frank Lampard hit the crossbar.

"We were not aggressive enough to attack defenders and go for the goal. We want creative players who use the ball and kill opponents.

"But there are some matches where we have to take one step backwards and play with a different philosophy."

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Bendtner or Giroud: Who starts?

Between the two strikers, who do you think should start against Chelsea tonight.

For most of the season, Bendtner has been considered the outcast of the gunners squad. He was given an opportunity earlier in the the season in a league cup tie against Chelsea, but failed to impress the fans and the manager by putting up a diaaapointing performance. Another chance came, this time in the league against Hull City and boy did he grab his chance with a goal and an outstanding performance. Also, his most recent appearance which was coming off the bench against Manchester City wasn't a bad one. He scored a goal which was flagged offside.

On the other hand we have Giroud who has been playing well for Arsenal, leading the front line. But lately, his performance has been a shadow of his earlier form with disappointing performances against Napoli and Manchester City respectively. This is a player who has played over 23 games so far this season. Fatigue seems to be setting in and getting the better of him. I believe rest is needed.

So... Is it safe to say that the Danish striker, Bendtner is in better form than the French striker Giroud and therefore deserves to start???.......