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Vermaelen - We must finish the job now

Thomas Vermaelen
Thomas Vermaelen

Thomas Vermaelen has called on Arsenal to "finish the job" ahead of the second leg of their Champions League clash with Fenerbahce.

The Gunners lead 3-0 from last Wednesday's clash in Istanbul and are heavy favourites to progress through to the group stage.

Vermaelen has warned that Fenerbahce should not be underestimated, and believes a third successive victory could have a major impact going into Sunday's north London derby.

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"We need everyone to be on top of their game because the tie is not over yet," he told the Official Matchday Programme.

"We’ve put ourselves in a strong position with last week’s performance - not everyone expects to go to Fenerbahce, with the support they have and the names on their teamsheet, and win 3-0. Now we have to finish the job.

"We’ll take it as we do any game, and go for the win. You want to create a winning momentum, like we had at the end of last season, and another victory would only help us going into Sunday’s game with Spurs."

The prize at stake on Tuesday night is another season of Champions League football, something Vermaelen knows is the lifeblood of a club like Arsenal.

"It is really important to us," he said. "The Club belongs there, as you can see from the number of times we have qualified, and for players there is nothing better than to compete in it.

"It’s the highest level of the sport, and the place you want to be when you’re a young kid. So it’s vital to see things through, and I am confident in our team."