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We have to make sure we respond well.

West Brom played well on Saturday but we made it difficult for ourselves because we were not at our usual level. Not defensively, nor offensively.

Overall everything was difficult for us - passing the ball, winning the ball back, winning the one against ones - and we got what we deserved which was zero points. We didn't deserve more.

The positive is that we did fight until the last minute but it was just not good enough at that level to get three points.

Manuel Almunia was criticised for his mistake but there were question marks over many players. We made massive mistakes defensively and were collectively poor.

It was a bad team performance and we have to analyse why and make sure we respond well because we have an important game in Belgrade on Tuesday.

It would have been even more disappointing on Saturday if Chelsea had won because they would be seven points clear of us. But we can't look at the results of the other teams, we have to turn up with our own performance and we didn't do that against West Brom.

Next week's trip to Stamford Bridge is important of course and I believe we will see that Saturday's performance was an exception - until then we had very, very good games.

Saturday was a big disappointment because we had the game won at Birmingham and we had the chance to score the second goal.

I believe the pitch was very difficult to play on and it was a scrappy game. We gradually got on top and played the second half in their half of the pitch, but they defended well and made the game difficult. In the end we got caught when Almunia deflected the ball into his own goal.

Of course it is disappointing to concede so late but football is never finished when two teams fight until the end. We had the chance to score the second and to keep the ball. The last thing you want is a free-kick against you but that is what happened.

Cesc Fabregas picked up an injury in the first half and we will assess him before the Barcelona game. He got tackled on the knee. We tried to take him off at first but afterwards he said he was OK and he finished the game.

Injuries were the reason Andrey Arshavin and Samir Nasri started the game on the bench. Andrey had a groin problem and Samir had a knee problem from the last game against West Ham.

Of course the result is a big blow for our title chances. We were in a position where we had to win all our games and not to win on Saturday is a big blow to take.

I believe we played an outstanding game on Saturday against West Ham.

We played with class and spirit and we kept our nerve when the situation became difficult. Overall we showed a good attitude, good maturity and, in the important moments, we were decisive in every department. I am thinking about the goalkeeper here and then moving Alex Song to centre back; everybody adapted very well to the situation and technically I believe we were outstanding.

I felt the red card for Thomas Vermaelen was very harsh. We have seen this situation many times in the game without it being punished at all.

But Manuel Almunia silenced the critics with his save. He had a few problems at the start of the season but in the last two or three months I have found him to be outstanding. Credit to him.

Our 2-0 victory took us up to second in the table and we know that at least one of Manchester United and Chelsea will drop points between now and the end of the season. They play each other later on.

Obviously we have lost home and away to both teams this season but, it does not matter to me, I would still take the title!

That same situation happened with Manchester United when they were champions last year. And yes, it's a point of view. But then, ideally, you would want to win all 38 games and everyone would say: 'they deserve it'. You never have the perfect season.

Right now we are in a position where we can show people that we have improved. We've already improved our consistency. I don't know where we will finish but let's go for it now.

We are in a strong position in the Premier League table after the win against West Ham but we still have to focus on our quality and continue to improve. So now let's just be better in our next game and that's at Birmingham on Saturday.

With the results we are making, we can only go from game to game. But we know we have the desire and we have the quality.

Finally, I'd just like to let you know that Robin van Persie should be back at the Club this week. We sent our fitness coach out to Holland where he has been having his rehabilitation. Physically he looks very sharp but we aim to wait at least a month for him. So we need to be patient.