Published: 28 January 2013

By RICHARD OSLEY

STRIKER Olivier Giroud has targeted getting above Spurs in the league as Arsenal's big priority after helping the Gunners avoid a scare at Brighton in the FA Cup.

When his passion for topping Tottenham became evident in the post-match press conference on Saturday, he asked me in a bizarre exchange: "Why are you laughing?"

I replied: "It's always about Tottenham, isn't it? Every year." The forward nodded his head and said: "Yes."

Giroud had been fielding questions at the Amex Stadium after netting twice in a 3-2 away over Brighton and Hove Albion. He said he was encouraged by the win against Gus Poyet's promising Championship outfit but that Arsenal now needed to press the teams above them in the Premiership with Champions League qualification in the balance.

The 26 year-old said: "We want to get six points against Liverpool and Stoke to reach Tottenham and fourth place then we will play and see where we get."

After an inconsistent start to his Arsenal career, Giroud has found himself in a rich vein of form and added to his collection of headed goals with two impressive strikes with his feet as Brighton threatened to take the game to a replay.

Giroud's early curled shot from the edge of the box was matched in the first half by Ashley Barnes' header from a corner, exposing sleepy defending in the Arsenal rearguard. In the second half, Giroud dragged Abou Diaby's chipped pass to the ground and then clipped the ball in to restore the advantage. Again, the Seagulls came back with new signing Leonardo Ulloa's diving header making it 2-2. It was only Theo Walcott's wildly deflected late strike which ensured safe passage to the fifth round.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger knew Giroud's energetic display had helped avoid a banana skin, explaining: "He has all you need to play as a centre forward. Without him it would have been difficult." 

Arsenal will play Blackburn Rovers at home in the fifth round.