WIN OR BUST

"I accept that Arsenal, last year and at the moment, are ahead of us but we know we're capable of winning and I think they know that too. A win against Arsenal could turn the whole season on its head. It stops their unbeaten run, for starters. Right now they're like a rolling stone that gathers no moss. Somewhere down the line somebody has got to stop them and you never know what psychological impact that could have.”

"I wouldn't say it's win or bust for us but it's certainly very, very important."

He defended his accusation of Arsenal "getting away with murder" in escaping heavier sanctions for the clashes at the end of last season's corresponding fixture.

"My comments were accurate. It was a response to comments supposedly made by Arsène Wenger that we were a 'spent force'. There is a bit of kidology between the two of us and I thought it was appropriate to remind them of what happened last year. I note that Arsène has said himself they can't afford anything like that to happen again and he's quite right."