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Ox - We're ready to suffer for success

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain says Arsenal are prepared to suffer for success this season.

The England international and his clubmates have stepped up their workrate in Japan with double training sessions ahead of Monday's friendly against Nagoya Grampus.

Oxlade-Chamberlain looked lively in the first two games of the tour and he thinks Arsenal will reap the benefits of playing in a more challenging climate.

"It's harder to get your breath out here. But I think the longer we stay out here, the fitter we'll get"

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

"It's always hard coming back for pre-season, especially when you're in hot countries with really high humidity," he told Arsenal Player.

"It's something that you're not used to and it can make you feel a bit sluggish and lethargic because it's harder to get your breath out here. But I think the longer we stay out here, the fitter we'll get.

"I do feel stronger from the first game which was in Jakarta. We've got two more games now in Japan and that will only bode well for when we go back to England where it's not as humid and as hot. It should stand us in good stead for when we get home.

"He [Arsene Wenger] says in the meetings that it's interesting to see when we're suffering because of the heat, how we can still keep focused mentally and tactically and keep doing our jobs even when we're really tired.

"That's always something that you come up against during the season when you're playing tough games and you're feeling tired towards the end of the game. You can't let your concentration slip. Pre-season is all about preparation and that's all part and parcel of it so it's really good for us."

Olivier Giroud's prolific form caught the eye in Indonesia and Vietnam - the Frenchman has netted five times in just 65 minutes of football - but Oxlade-Chamberlain scored the goal of the tour so far when he curled in a long-range beauty in Hanoi on Wednesday.

"It just came back to me from Theo [Walcott] and I just thought to hit the target and that corner of the goal. Luckily it went right in the top corner.

"I've tried that one about a million times over the last 10 years and probably only scored about two so it was nice to see that one go in! They say just keep shooting and hopefully it will go in and luckily enough it did.

"I think there were some other really good goals, especially Olivier's hat-trick. I think that was really good and shows that he's on frightening form, as we saw in the first game. That's really good for us.

"There's goals coming from all over the pitch which is something that we saw last season. To see it again in pre-season is really positive."