Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud is targeting a perfect finish to the season to pile the pressure on Barclays Premier League title contenders Chelsea and Manchester City . The Gunners kept up the heat on leaders Chelsea and second-placed City on Saturday evening following their hard-fought 2-1 victory at Newcastle . Two seasons ago , Arsene Wenger 's men responded to their Champions League exit by putting together a run of eight wins and two draws in their final 10 league games and , having succumbed to Monaco last Tuesday evening , Giroud is looking for a similar surge towards the finishing line . Francis Coquelin ( left ) and Calum Chambers ( right ) congratulate Olivier Giroud after his second goal . He told the club 's official website www.arsenal.com : 'It 's nice for the team because we are on a really good run , even if we were disappointed about the Champions League . We want to finish really strongly and finish in the best position by winning every single game . 'There are still eight games to play , so we need to focus on our games and step by step we 're going to see . First we need to win every single game and then after we need to see if City or Chelsea miss one of these steps . 'You never know , you have to believe in football and that 's why we want to win every single game . ' Olivier Giroud gives Arsenal the lead in the 28th minute at Newcastle , latching onto Danny Welbeck 's header . The French striker celebrates his first goal of the game with team-mates Gabriel Paulista and Welbeck ( right ) Giroud holds off his marker to head Arsenal into a two-goal lead just four minutes after opening the scoring . The victory at St James ' Park extended Arsenal 's winning league run to six games and , while it looked as though it would arrive in routine style after Giroud 's first-half double , they were ultimately grateful for the excellence of goalkeeper David Ospina , who produced a series of second-half saves to keep the resurgent Magpies at bay . Giroud opened the scoring with 24 minutes gone when he bundled home Danny Welbeck 's flick-on from a Santi Cazorla free-kick and he extended the lead just four minutes later when he made the most of some insipid defending to head Cazorla 's corner past Tim Krul . However , Moussa Sissoko reduced the deficit within three minutes of the restart when he swept home Remy Cabella 's cross and , had Ospina not managed to beat away a Mike Williamson header and Ayoze Perez 's deflected 87th-minute shot , the home side would have emerged with a point . Sissoko points to the sky as he celebrates scoring Newcastle 's first Premier League goal since February 28 . Giroud , who now has nine goals in his last nine games in all competitions , salutes Arsenal 's travelling fans . Arsenal look dejected during their disappointing performance against Monaco in the Champions League . Wenger said : ' I would say the spirit of the team and the quality of the players , the mental quality of the players - they are outstanding guys and it 's a pleasure to see how they behave . It 's a credit to the club as well to see that quality on the behavioural front and how much they want to do well . 'We are a stronger team today than we were in September - that 's down to the focus of the whole club , of the whole staff and the quality of work the whole staff puts in . 'Let 's hope we can go from strength to strength now until the end of the season . ' There were positives too for Magpies coach John Carver , who was forced to field a makeshift defence as injury and suspension took their toll , despite the fact that former boss Alan Pardew 's Crystal Palace leapfrogged his team as a result of their 2-1 win at Stoke . Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger gives out instructions during his side 's sixth successive Premier League victory . His concentration swiftly turned to the Wear-Tyne derby on April 5 , a game he can not afford to lose after four successive defeats by Sunderland , whose need is even more pressing as they find themselves entrenched in another fight for top-flight survival . Carver said : 'It 's good to put in a good performance just before a derby game and we have already touched on it because our preparation starts now for it and we have got to get focused for it because we have not had a win against them for a while . 'It 's very important that we are focused for it , and we will have a normal week . There is no time off this week , we will have a normal week - Monday , Tuesday , off Wednesday , in Thursday , Friday - so our preparation starts now and we know it 's a big game . '
Arsenal beat Newcastle 2-1 on Saturday to keep up with the leaders . Olivier Giroud scored twice to secure Arsenal 's first straight league win . Arsenal are one point behind Man City and seven behind leaders Chelsea .