Kieran Gibbs has hailed the Arsenal squad’s character as they prepare for a tense finale to the season on Sunday.
The Gunners head to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle, knowing that a victory will secure them a place in the top four.
After helping Arsenal extend their unbeaten run to 10 games with a 4-1 win against Wigan on Tuesday night, Gibbs says confidence is high ahead of the trip to the North-East.
“It was all about the win,” he told Arsenal Player. “I thought the performance was, in spells, really good.
“We started well and then they got a foothold in the game unexpectedly, but we showed true character and won the game convincingly in the end.
“We had to be patient. When we came in at half time we had to stay focused and [we knew] we still had 45 minutes to win the game. We took our chances and picked the right moments to get them on the counter-attack.
“The fact it has gone down to the wire again shows just how competitive this league is. In January people were saying we were not supposed to be [in the top four].
“The way the squad has stuck together this season and never given up is credit to them and I believe we deserve nothing more than to be where we want to be.
"It is a test we have passed this season and that is credit to the players because it is not easy, especially for those who have come in. It must have been a shock to their systems but they have shown what characters they are."
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