Davies: Crucial games

Related links

Teams

• Derby County

Players

• Stephen Pearson

Also see

• Derby fixtures
• Derby stats

Derby boss Billy Davies has stated the importance of his side's next six games as they look to survive their first season back in the Premier League.

The Rams avoid playing the current top six during their forthcoming fixtures and Davies understands the importance of picking up points.

"The games coming up will be tough but we are capable of beating these teams, especially at Pride Park," Davies told the Derby Evening Telegraph.

Derby face away trips to Reading, Fulham and Aston Villa and play host to Bolton, Everton and West Ham.

And Davies insists that these games are more important than matches against sides such as Liverpool or Arsenal.

He said: "Sometimes away from home we know there's going to be opposition like Liverpool and Arsenal that have so much quality and spent so much money, that the gap between us and them is enormous.

"These teams are not the ones to worry about. We're now going into some games, including Bolton, Reading, Fulham and Everton, when we know we've got to compete."

Forget Gunners defeat

Derby were soundly beaten at the weekend as Arsenal netted five against them at Emirates Stadium and Rams midfielder Stephen Pearson knows they have to put that drubbing behind them as they go into this weekend's game against Bolton.

He said: "There's no easy games in the Premiership and we'll just try to analyse the Arsenal game and build up to the weekend.

"It's a massive game coming up at the weekend and we need to just try to put the Arsenal game behind us and concentrate on Saturday."