Olivier Giroud says Arsenal will not be underestimating Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Sunday given the Championship side's recent exploits in the competition.
Boro stunned Premier League champions Manchester City in the fourth round with a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium last month and will be heading to the Emirates Stadium this weekend full of confidence.
The north-east club also currently sit top of the Championship and Giroud, 28, says FA Cup holders Arsenal will need to be at their best if they want to book their place in the quarterfinals.
"If they are here it's because they succeeded in beating a great team like City, so we need to be aware of that," Giroud told Arsenal's official website. "We need to play our game straight away from the beginning and not let them take confidence.
"It will be a tough game, especially in the FA Cup. We know that even though a team is playing in an inferior division, they will really want to beat us at home, especially Arsenal. We are really cautious and we want to start the game on the front foot.
"Every game is a tough game in the FA Cup. It's always a big fight. We have the spirit because we won it last year, we have more experience maybe and hopefully we will keep this trophy with us."
Giroud will be lining up on Sunday against a team he nearly signed for before joining Arsenal in 2012.
"Yes, that's true," he added. "Middlesbrough and Celtic [also wanted to sign me]. They were a great team -- today they are close to coming back into the Premier League. It will be nice to play against them and it will remind me of my previous years at Tours."
Meanwhile, Arsenal have been handed a fitness boost, with Press Association Sport reporting that Alexis Sanchez could feature against Boro, despite picking up a knee injury during Tuesday's 2-1 Premier League win against Leicester.
The news on Aaron Ramsey, however, is less positive, with the Gunners midfielder certain to be out for a fortnight at the very least after going off against the Foxes with a hamstring problem.
Ramsey is undergoing tests from Arsenal's medical team but will not return before the Champions League last-16 first-leg tie against Monaco on Feb. 25, with the club reluctant to place a timescale on his recovery, particularly given the concerning regularity of the Welshman's fitness problems this season.
He missed three weeks after injuring his hamstring against Tottenham in September and was out for almost six weeks following a recurrence of the problem in December.
Information from the Press Association was used in this report