Arsenal skipper Mikel Arteta has backed Arsenal to bounce back from the difficult week that saw them throw away points in the Champions League and lose further ground in the Premier League.
The Gunners looked set to seal their place in the Champions League round of 16 when they took a three-goal lead at home to Anderlecht on Nov. 4 -- only for a late collapse to see them held to a 3-3 draw.
And when they travelled to Swansea on the following weekend, another lead disappeared as the home side scored twice late on to win 2-1.
Arteta acknowledged that morale had been dented by those setbacks, but backed the north Londoners to begin turning their season back round when Manchester United visit the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
"It is a rollercoaster at the moment, but we need to manage the emotion because this is a long-term situation," he told Arsenal's official website.
"We have two games against Manchester United and Dortmund at home, and if we get the crowd with us from the start and get the results it will be a very different story again.
"A week ago, after three wins in a row, the place was getting back to normal with everyone looking happy. Then we had two disappointing results.
"But we need to be where we want to be in April and May, so let's be patient."
#INSERT type:image caption:Arteta has said he needs to help his colleagues eradicate their doubts. END#
The Spaniard said his role as captain meant he needed to "lead with confidence" and help eradicate doubts that his colleagues in Arsene Wenger's side might be experiencing.
Stressing that it was key to "remind the players how good they are," he added: "When you see some faces with disappointment and doubts, it is not good.
"They are players at the top level and after one, two or three [poor] performances it is natural -- you get doubts, you get a bit down.
"But we cannot allow that to happen here. It is very demanding to play three or four times in 10 days and bad periods are going to affect the team. So you need everyone on their toes and ready to fight."