Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he asked his players to keep calm when the scoreline was still 1-1 against Sunderland.
The Gunners won only one game in November in all competitions and were looking to kick-off the month of December in style.
And they couldn't have asked for a better start as they took full advantage of Manchester City's defeat to move up to second in the table.
"It was a very important game for us tonight because we came out of three disappointing results," Wenger said.
"We had lost only one game but I think it was a very, very important game for us today, psychology, for the fact we had not won, for the fact we had lost important players in our side and we had to show that we can win.
"We were edgy and nervy in the first half against a very organised team who were dangerous on the counter-attack, but in the second half I think we have shown mental strength and desire in our game and more fluency as well.
"All was not perfect of course but the team have shown mental strength after a goal before half-time. We still managed to win the game in the second half.
"[At half-time] I thought it was important to keep our nerves at first.
"They were dangerous with Fletcher and Watmore, and their full backs could have exposed us, so it was important not to concede the second goal and I believe it was also important to get behind their midfield, behind Ola Toivonen and M'Vila and to find space in between their centre backs."
