Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has refused to fault his side's effort after their 0-0 draw at the Reebok Stadium last night.

The Frenchman, whose team have taken one point from their last four outings, must now lead his side back from seventh place in the Premier League and make up a five-point deficit to finish in the top four.

However, he insists that the club have overcome difficult situations in the past.

"We took all of the risks," he said. "We hit the bar, the post and missed some great chances.

"But I cannot fault the effort, the commitment and desire to win the game. On the positive side we haven't lost and we haven't conceded a goal. Of course we have regrets because we did not take our chances tonight.

"We had even more difficult periods when we won championships and went six games without a win. It's part of football."

Meanwhile, Wenger has admitted that the club must now treat each game as a cup final moving forward.