Arsene Wenger says it was 'vital' for the future of his Arsenal team that they beat Man United.
Gunners boss relieved to secure home victory over United
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admitted that it was 'vital' for the future of his team that they claimed victory over Manchester United on Saturday.
The Gunners battled for a 2-1 triumph over the Premier League champions at Emirates Stadium with Samir Nasri netting a double for the home side.
Wenger's troops had suffered poor form prior to the game and were under pressure to claim three points in order to keep their title hopes alive.
The Frenchman was delighted with the display of his side and conceded they benefited from a largely wasteful United outfit.
Attacking
He told Sky Sports: "I can take criticism. I am in a job where I have to accept that. There is only one answer to give, and that is the quality on the football pitch.
"It was of course vital to win. Overall, it was a great football game. Both teams really went for it.
"I knew today that was a big game for the future of the team. We needed to keep in the race and know we can win big games.
"Man United are a great side and they created chances but didn't take them. We took our chances today.
Expression
"They took the initiative when they were 2-0 down. They scored very late and we had a nervy six minutes in the end.
"We continued to go forward. When you play football in a negative way you put yourself under pressure. We tried to score the third goal.
"We are player-ish, you know. That always takes over. When you are 19 or 20, you want to play. But overall, it was a great performance from my team."