Mathieu Debuchy says calm is required for Arsenal to chase top-four spot

Defender Mathieu Debuchy believes Arsenal
must keep calm and remain focused if they are
to drag themselves back into the top four of
the Premier League.
The Gunners survived the sending off of striker
Olivier Giroud for a rash headbutt on Nedum
Onuoha to beat QPR 2-1 at the Emirates
Stadium on Boxing Day.
There is little time for the squad to regroup
ahead of the trip to West Ham on Sunday,
where another victory would see them leapfrog
the fifth-placed Irons and possibly
Southampton, who are at home to leaders
Chelsea.
Wenger confirmed Giroud has already
apologised for his moment of red mist at the
start of the second half, which will now see the
France striker serve a three-match suspension
for violent conduct.
Debuchy can sympathise with his team-mate,
but is confident if Arsenal can hold it together,
they can head into 2015 in a strong position.
"Olivier did not speak in the dressing room. It is
a hard moment for him," said Debuchy. "I know
that from before, when I was at Newcastle, I
was sent off, so have been in the same
moment.
"It is difficult, but we are professionals and we
need to keep calm. However, everybody has a
temper, so it is not always easy, but we need
to keep calm."
Arsenal showed good character to dig in and
get the result against QPR, with Tomas Rosicky
adding the cushion of a second goal just after
the hour, although a late penalty from Charlie
Austin led to some desperate defending during
the closing stages.
Debuchy said: "It was a great win for us, so
important for the next game against West Ham.
"The finish to the match was harder, because 10
against 11 is not easy.
"It will be difficult at West Ham, they have a lot
of players with quality and have had a very
good start to the season, but we need to win,
so we have to be 100 percent.
"We need a run of wins, that is what has been
missing so far this season. It is so important to
win against West Ham and then Southampton
[on New Year's Day], in every game now we
need to go on.
"We have great confidence and the belief that
we can do it."