Vermaelen: Arteta has been really important for Arsenal

The former Everton man struck late to secure victory against Manchester City on Sunday as the Emirates outfit grabbed a crucial three points in the race for third place. And the Belgian centre-back claimed that the Spaniard's presence in the dressing room has helped the north London outfit just as much as his on-field contributions. "He has been really important for us," Vermaelen told the club's official website. "He is not only important on the pitch but off the pitch as well. He talks a lot, he's an experienced player. "He is really important in midfield because often you win and lose games in midfield." Arsenal play relegation candidates Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday and Vermaelen is determined there will be no repeat of the performance which saw Arsene Wenger's men recently lose to QPR. "Every game is important for us at the moment and each one will be hard," he added. "You could see that at QPR, and we dropped points there, so Wolves will be the same. We have to be on the top of our game and play well there."