Champions League: Olivier Giroud concerned by thin Arsenal squad

Wednesday 18 September 2013 19:55, UK

Olivier Giroud of Arsenal during the Barclays Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium
Image: Olivier Giroud: Arsenal are in action at Marseille on Wednesday

Olivier Giroud feels Arsenal's "audacious" away form bodes well for the UEFA Champions League - but he accepts the squad is thin.

Mertesacker confident

Giroud's Arsenal colleague Per Mertesacker is also relishing the challenge ahead and is impressed by the way the team has bounced back from losing at home to Aston Villa on the opening day. "We have an exceptional team - that's the main thing," the Germany defender said. "We built up confidence from last season, especially the last 10 games when we didn't lose anything. "You could feel it from the first day that there is something special in this team, apart from the first game [against Aston Villa], no one dropped and the performance went well after that. "We have shown so far that we are ready to keep our confidence and keep the run going. The most important thing is to keep that mental level high and to be prepared for because it will be hard. "Marseille will put pressure on us so we need to be aware of that, particularly in the first 15-20 minutes."

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