Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has admitted that his side were "surprised" by the commitment shown by Preston North End during their FA Cup third-round clash at Deepdale this evening.
The Gunners were second best to their Championship opponents for much of the first half and were fortunate to only trail by one goal heading into the interval.
Second-half strikes from Aaron Ramsey and Giroud saw Arsene Wenger's turn the game around and book their place in the fourth round, though, and Giroud was pleased with the character his side showed.
"We wanted to start the game better than the last one but they surprised us with their commitment. We were not in the game," he told BT Sport.
"We wanted to bounce back second half and show character. We did that. They put a lot of intensity in the game and all the team was beaten. It was not Arsenal. We are pleased with the amazing support of the fans."
Arsenal have now lost just one of their last 37 FA Cup games against lower-league opposition.
Barney Corkhill
