'The next two games are crucial for our direction'

After four wins on the bounce, things are starting to look good - but Mikel Arteta says our next two games are "crucial" for setting our direction this season.

First up in Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, before the visit of Newcastle the following Monday.

 

Arteta says two further wins would make a big impact on how the rest of the campaign could pan out.

 

"I think the next two games are crucial to see the direction that we are taking and to reinforce all the things that we have improved on and the results that we are having recently," he said. "We will know much more I think after the next two games.

 

"We want to keep that consistency and having the belief that we can go into every game with the feeling that we are going to win it. The more games we are able to win the better that feeling is going to be.

 

"Obviously, to start thinking more about the table in a different direction, if you are able to win these matches your mind starts to look in a much more positive way.

 

"[Crystal Palace] are a really dangerous side and they have shown that against big teams. They are a really compact and organised team and you know what you're going to expect.

 

"They have players with a big individual talent that just need moments to win games, to create actions that can unbalance the game so we have to be very careful with that. Then, we have to play to be dominant again in the game.

 

"We go from the first minute to try to win the game, to attack them and be cautious as well of the strengths that they have and try to control them as much as possible."