Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has declared that a win against Manchester City this weekend could provide the confidence boost needed to shoot his team up the table.

The Gunners are locked in a fierce battle to secure Champions League qualification with Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Wenger believes that January can provide an important turning point in Arsenal's season as they prepare for a run of games which sees them play four of their next five league matches at the Emirates.

He told the club's official website: "Getting off to a strong start would help to improve the confidence of the team, that is very important. You can see that it is important for every team.

"For Chelsea the other night when they started to miss chances [against Swansea], it had an effect on the confidence of the team. That's why we are in a similar situation to Chelsea. We have had positive results away from home and at home we are now getting back to positive results.

"We beat West Brom and Newcastle United in a convincing way, so it is important to continue that."

Arsenal head into Sunday's clash with the reigning champions on a run of five league matches unbeaten, including a 7-3 win over Newcastle.