Bacary Sagna admitted to being a little nervous ahead of his comeback game against Queens Park Rangers in the English Premier League on Saturday, adding he and Jack Wilshere had a little chat to try and ease the stress.
Sagna made a successful comeback from a six-month injury layoff, with Wilshere, who was out for 17 months also impressive in a 1-0 win over London rivals QPR.
Sagna was appearing for the first time since breaking his leg against Norwich in the Premier League on May 5, and even if playing at the Emirates might have brought back those memories, the crowd and the atmosphere helped the French international to turn back the nervousness.
"Me and Jack had a little chat before the game," Sagna told the club's official website. "We both felt a bit stressed, but it is a good stress because it is always a pleasure to play here at the Emirates in front of the fans.
"It was special for us, even more for him because he has been out for a long time. Me, I have been out for six months and the last time I played here I broke my leg, so it was very emotional.
"We had to win, and we showed great strength of character. We kept going right until the end, even if QPR played well defensively and had a great goalkeeper.
"It was not easy but we stayed focused until the end, and finally we found a solution."
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta sang Arsene Wenger's praises, saying the Arsenal manager had played a big part in maintaining the belief in the team after the team's two consecutive losses against Norwich and Schalke.
"The boss was brilliant because he was very positive about the way we have to play and the belief we have to have," the midfielder, who scored the winner against QPR, said.
"It is good that in the bad moments he keeps believing in us and gives us confidence, so we kept playing as we always do and got rewarded.
"We knew we would have to play really well to beat QPR, and we created the chances but left it until the last few minutes."
Arteta, like the rest of his teammates, was ecstatic to see Sagna and Wilshere make their returns from injuries, with the Spaniard enjoying a fruitful game with Wilshere in midfield in their first match together.
"They both made a big difference," he added. "Bac was brilliant going forward and in his defending, and Jack showed what he can do for the team.
"I am really pleased that we are starting to get some players back."
