From the Boardroom - David Gold

Gold
We will be hoping to bounce straight back to winning ways following a disappointing exit from the EFL Cup against Manchester United on Wednesday night.

It is sad that we were unable to reach the semi-final stage of the competition as we were just two games from playing at Wembley, but we have to move on and raise our spirits ahead of another big game in the Premier League.

I want to thank the thousands of fans who made the long journey to Old Trafford on Wednesday night for the second time in just four days and were magnificent once again.

We know the importance of getting something from the Arsenal game on Saturday and hopefully we can show the same kind of performance that we showed against Manchester United in the league last Sunday.

It was a vital point as we look to move away from a perilous position in the table.

Diafra Sakho scored a superb goal after just two minutes and it gave everyone a lift and the belief that we could take something from the game. It also showed what we have been missing and a striker getting on the scoresheet.

We said when the key players were back from injury they would make a difference and that proved to be the case.

But just when you think our luck might be changing, Diafra sustained a thigh injury and will now face another six weeks on the sidelines which is a big blow. He is a valuable player and can score goals.

Hopefully we will see Andy Carroll back in the squad and that will give everyone a lift in the dressing room.

Andy has worked so hard to regain full fitness and he knows the importance of getting back on the pitch and showing his best form.

The medical team have held him back to ensure he is ready and I know he will be desperate to play another big part against Arsenal.

Few could forget his memorable hat-trick against the north London Club last season and we would all love to see him repeat that again!

I remember the game and how we battled back from 2-0 down. Andy scored three goals to put us into the lead, but unfortunately Laurent Koscielny scored a late equaliser.

It was a fantastic game of football and I am sure it will be another great night under the lights at London Stadium.

I have no doubts that the fans will be right behind us once again and will be a major driving force for us as they get behind the team.

This has been a tough period for us but we need to climb the table and we need a victory. Three points would change everything and help us move away from the bottom three.