Keeper knows how crucial supporters will be this Sunday

Chris Kirkland is hoping Latics can produce another memorable day on Sunday, drawing on the memories of this season's famous wins over Chelsea and Liverpool.

Both games were a shining example of how, with the right attitude and determination any team can be overcome, but Kirky knows that in order to make that happen the support of the home crowd is crucial;

"If we can do the same again it would be a magnificent day. But we don't want to get carried away because Arsenal are the kind of team who can punish you in an instant.

"We have to make sure that we prepare properly for the game in training, go into the game with the right attitude and hopefully get a little bit of luck on the day which you always need.

"After Wednesday's game the fans were upset and they're entitled to feel and show that frustration. They've paid to come and watch us with their own hard-earned money.

"But we want them to know that there's no-one more frustrated than us the players. We know we should have done better and we're disappointed we didn't, but Sunday is our chance to put things right.

"We'd rather be in the position we're in than those in the relegation zone. Yes that cushion can go very suddenly if we're not careful, so that's why it's important on Sunday that everyone gets behind us.

"We ask the fans to cheer us from the first minute until the last and hopefully with that we can get another great result."

With the game being on Sunday it means Saturday's fixtures will be watched rather anxiously, something Kirky isn't a fan of;

"Saturday afternoons are hard to deal with when you're not playing; you want to be out there making a difference.

"It's a nervy 90 minutes when you're looking at teams in and around you playing out their games, but at the end of the day it's all still in our own hands.

"Okay it would be nice if the teams around us fell short over the weekend, taking a bit of the pressure off us, but it's all down to Sunday's game and our own performance."