Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to "keep faith" in his vision as he looks to guide the young Gunners into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.
The 4-2 victory at Aston Villa on Saturday avoided a third straight defeat, following on from the bitter disappointment of blowing a two-goal lead as arch-rivals Tottenham fought back to win the north London derby at Emirates Stadium and then going down 2-0 in Braga to leave Champions League qualification not yet assured.
Those performances once again had pundits and supporters alike questioning Arsenal's backbone and ability to turn potential into silverware.
Wenger, though, maintains his side have the quality needed to come good in the end as they look to secure a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup by staying on course for Wembley with victory against Wigan at Emirates Stadium tomorrow.
'For over two months we have played every three days, and part of that is sometimes you have ups and downs. It is how you respond to that,' Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
'The problem at the moment is that when these kind of things happen, everybody is emphasising the negative sides.'
Wenger declared: 'I am still quite optimistic, even if disappointed by the results. I have no major reason to doubt the team and the players, so even if my disappointment was huge, maybe that is why I am less down than many people because I see all the positive signs which are in my team.
'I am confident on the longer-term, like it is a marathon, that will all come out - keep with us, and keep faith with the team.
'I know their attitude is spot on, I know they have the quality - and we will not always lose games where the opponent only has one shot on goal.'
Wenger is again set to name a strong squad for the visit of the Latics, having come through a tough test at Spurs before then impressing with a 4-0 win at Newcastle.
'The only thing I promise is that we will take the tie seriously,' the Arsenal manager insisted.
'But I have to consider how many games my players play. For six weeks we have played every three days with Champions League and internationals. I will consider who needs to play and who needs to rest.'
