Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was relieved to declare his side have their Champions League Group D destiny in their own hands after their dramatic late win against Anderlecht in Brussels.
Late goals from Kieran Gibbs and a dramatic winner from Lukas Podolski handed the Gunners what was an unlikely victory on a night when they struggled to hit top form, with the dramatic finish to the game handing Wenger a perfect 65th birthday present.
"We looked to control the game in the first half and controlled their counter attacks well," Wenger told Sky Sports. "In the second half we opened up and defensively got caught.
"After that, the crucial point was when we were 1-0 down and they couldn't take advantage with the chance for the second goal. We kept going, managed to score two good goals and showed we had the spirit to win the game.
"The group is in our hands. Let's first qualify and then see how far we can go."
Wenger expressed his hope that the late comeback will kick-start an Arsenal season that has struggled to lift off, as he targets victories in his final two games against Emirates Stadium against Anderlecht and Borussia Dortmund that will give the Gunners a chance to finish at the top of their group and secure a top-placed seeding for the next round.
"This was vital for us to have a chance to qualify," he added. "We are in a strong position now. Anderlecht and Galatasaray have one point and we have six. It's down to us now. Win our home games and we are through.
"It's a frustrating part of our job to fight for the final seconds. We know by experience in the Champions League that many goals are scored in the final five minutes. We took advantage of that tonight.
"When you have the ball and you don't score or win the games, sometimes the confidence drops. It was important for us to win after a disappointing result on Saturday [against Hull]."
Arsenal goal scorer Gibbs echoed the comments of his manager as he suggested the victory against Anderlecht could have huge effects for the rest of their season.
"It was massive result for us and puts us in a strong position," said the full-back. "We didn't give up and we have made a statement of what we want to do.
"We controlled quite a lot of the game and the final ball was letting us down. That was frustrating for us, but we had to keep going and we got the rewards.
"I hope it is [a turning point]. We are determined to do well as a team and everybody is fighting for each other. We have another big game in two days and we have to switch on to that now.
"The boys all give 100 percent for the team. We have to keep doing that. Some days it happens and other days it's not, but the most important thing is to stay professional."