Arsene Wenger acknowledged that Arsenal needed "something special" after Olivier Giroud's late intervention secured a 1-0 win over West Brom on Monday.
The Gunners were largely dominant against Tony Pulis' men at Emirates Stadium, but the Baggies defence remained resolute.
However, Arsenal - who had lost their previous two Premier League matches 2-1 - eventually made the breakthrough with four minutes remaining when Giroud expertly headed home Mesut Ozil's brilliant cross.
"In the end we had to be patient against a well-organised West Brom side," Wenger told reporters.
"They were tenacious, well-organised and we needed to keep patient and not make a defensive mistake. When you do not score early, you cannot rush.
"We had a high level of possession, plenty of shots at goal and we needed something special in the end. It was a special cross and a special header.
"We knew we had to win after two disappointing defeats."
Match-winner Giroud credited Ozil for his brilliant assist, while emphasising the importance of returning to winning ways.
"It was a very good cross from Mesut Ozil and I just tried to finish the job," Giroud told reporters.
"We were strong together, a strong mentality, it was important to win and we showed a lot of strength.
"At home you have to win and even more so after two disappointing results so it was a very important game, we needed the three points. It is a big relief."
