Vermaelen:Arteta has been so important

Thomas Vermaelen believes Mikel Arteta has been a vital component in the Arsenal engine room this season. Arteta was the hero on Sunday as his excellent late strike secured victory over Manchester City at Emirates Stadium - his sixth goal of an impressive debut campaign. The Spaniard has been a virtual ever-present since his summer switch from Everton and Vermaelen thinks Arteta has been a worthy addition to the squad. "He has been really important for us," said the Belgian. "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 face Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday and Vermaelen is determined to ensure there is no repeat of the disappointing display at QPR last weekend. "Every game is important for us at the moment and each one will be hard," he said. "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."