Arsenal captain Thomas Vermaelen keen for Theo Walcott to stay

Thomas Vermaelen says Theo Walcott has been 'invaluable' for Arsenal and hopes a deal can be agreed to keep him at the club.

Chasing top four

Arsenal's 5-2 demolition of Reading eased the pressure on everyone at the club following a shock Capital One Cup defeat against Bradford, and propelled them back to fifth in the Premier League. Vermaelen said: "What we did in Bradford was a big disappointment because we want to win those games too. "But in the Premier League, it is all really close for a Champions League spot and we are chasing the top four. "If you play for a team like Arsenal, there are always going to be people outside you who are going to question the manager and the team. "But you have to stay united and work hard on the training pitch because you are the only ones who know what's going on in the team. "We had a lot to prove. A lot of people questioned us but we wanted to perform on Monday night and we did." Don't miss any live and exclusive football coverage this festive season. Click here to visit Sky Sports' Festive Calendar