Johan Djourou: Arsenal Cannot Afford To Drop Points Against West Ham United

Posted Saturday, October 30, 2010 by YAHOO Sport

Johan Djourou insists that the games against lesser clubs like West Ham United will determine whether or not Arsenal win the Premier League this season.

The Gunners have gone without any major honour since winning the League Cup in 2005, and manager Arsene Wenger admitted recently that this has been weighing down on his job at the Ashburton Grove.

With the Gunners currently in second place in the table - five points behind Chelsea - the Switzerland international believes that it is games like the one that looms large that will decide the fate of the club come May next year.

"It's true that you need to get the most points out of those games [against teams not going for the title] because they are the games that can finish your season," Djourou told the club's official website.

"You always know against Chelsea or Manchester United you can drop points but you can't allow yourselves to drop points [against the others] so it's true that West Ham is a big game for us.

"The most important thing is to be ready and do it week in week out. I think we are starting to understand that and hopefully we can do that now. Of course [we will not be complacent]."

Djourou's stay in north London has seen him suffer his share of injuries, but he insists that he is finally getting back to his best having started in the club's last four matches.

"I’m getting there," he said. "It’s been a long road for me and I’m really enjoying my football now. It’s true that being out for so long it was very frustrating and now to be back and playing game after game is good.

"I’m holding up as well because you never know what is going to happen when you come back. You could think that four games is a bit much but everything is holding up which is great."