Wenger: 'This will give us belief and confidence'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
It was under special circumstances maybe but for us it was important to get a win against a big side to strengthen the belief of the squad and continue our march forward.
We showed intelligence and produced the needed performance against ten men when Manchester City had Dedryck Boyata sent off early in the game. From my view on the bench it looked like a deserved red card; I don't think the referee had an option.
After the sending off it became a bit electric. We got some yellow cards but then it was important for us not to get a second yellow.
I asked the players at half time to focus on playing in a positive way and to try to score a second goal - the idea was to try and get us to focus on football and not just defending our advantage. You could see that for the whole game as long as it was not 2-0 we played with the feeling that 'we need to win, we need to win' and there was a little bit of restriction in our game. After we made it 2-0 it became easier.
We missed a penalty of course and you thought back to the Sunderland game when we missed from the spot and then drew the game. On Sunday it was the reverse and overall I am very pleased because we look like we have matured.
How have we matured? In terms of negotiating in an intelligent way the difficulties of the game. That means not getting a red card on Sunday, being patient when that was needed and I think collectively we dominated the game.
It was our first win in ten games against the 'big' clubs and I can't explain to you why but it is true. In some games we were close to winning but in the end we just lost. For example at Chelsea we lost 2-0 - when you watch the game again it's difficult to understand how we lost the game apart from the fact that they took two great chances.
Now we have won a 'big' game I hope that will give us the belief and the confidence to transfer that into other games.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
2010-10-16 : Arsenal 2 - 1 Birmingham City
Wenger: 'We cannot complain about red card'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The big talking point from Saturday was Jack Wilshere's red card.
He mistimed his tackle and he got what he deserved. But it was his first tackle in the game and you have to acknowledge that he didn't spend the whole game kicking people. He played football and was one of the best players on the football pitch.
Unfortunately he committed a bad challenge but I think it was borne of frustration, he mistimed his tackle. We do not complain about his red card but you cannot say he had a dirty game.
Aside from the sending off Jack showed that he is a complete player. He played defensively well, offensively well, and I believe that overall he had a very good game, a very influential game. He was very reliable defensively and very creative going forward.
Overall it was imperative to get the three points against Birmingham. I believe we played quite nervously - you could see our fluency was affected by the fact that we had not won for two games. We played a little bit with the handbrake in the final third, especially when we were 2-1 up, and it was never comfortable.
When we went 1-0 down it was backs to the wall considering the state of the Premier League table. We had absolutely to win so it was even more difficult to concede first, but I cannot fault anybody too much on the goal we conceded because it was a wonderful header like we used to see in England 30 or 40 years ago. There's not a lot you can do about that.
Marouane Chamakh scored the winner and since the beginning of the season, if you look at how many times he has been decisive at 0-0 or 1-1, you will be surprised. He is very influential in the team.
It was good to have Nicklas Bendtner back from injury but he doesn't look completely ready yet. He needs a few more weeks. He has not played regular football for a long time and you do not come back straight away like that into top-level competition.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
The big talking point from Saturday was Jack Wilshere's red card.
He mistimed his tackle and he got what he deserved. But it was his first tackle in the game and you have to acknowledge that he didn't spend the whole game kicking people. He played football and was one of the best players on the football pitch.
Unfortunately he committed a bad challenge but I think it was borne of frustration, he mistimed his tackle. We do not complain about his red card but you cannot say he had a dirty game.
Aside from the sending off Jack showed that he is a complete player. He played defensively well, offensively well, and I believe that overall he had a very good game, a very influential game. He was very reliable defensively and very creative going forward.
Overall it was imperative to get the three points against Birmingham. I believe we played quite nervously - you could see our fluency was affected by the fact that we had not won for two games. We played a little bit with the handbrake in the final third, especially when we were 2-1 up, and it was never comfortable.
When we went 1-0 down it was backs to the wall considering the state of the Premier League table. We had absolutely to win so it was even more difficult to concede first, but I cannot fault anybody too much on the goal we conceded because it was a wonderful header like we used to see in England 30 or 40 years ago. There's not a lot you can do about that.
Marouane Chamakh scored the winner and since the beginning of the season, if you look at how many times he has been decisive at 0-0 or 1-1, you will be surprised. He is very influential in the team.
It was good to have Nicklas Bendtner back from injury but he doesn't look completely ready yet. He needs a few more weeks. He has not played regular football for a long time and you do not come back straight away like that into top-level competition.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Monday, October 4, 2010
2010-10-03: Chelsea 2 - 0 Arsenal
Wenger: 'We had a great team performance and great energy'
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I think we demonstrated on Saturday that you can play well and lose the match.
The Chelsea game should have been over within a minute - we had the first two chances and we missed that header from six yards. I think Koscielny was too much turned towards the corner instead of turning his body and facing the goal. He did not adjust to the ball.
I think we were a bit unfortunate as well because there was a foul on Song from Ramieres in the build-up to Chelsea's first goal. After that we made a mistake that should not happen at the near post and Drogba took advantage of it.
For much of the second half it was one-way traffic and in the last 10 to 15 minutes Chelsea were counter-attacking. But we missed too many chances at that level and in the final third you need to be more clinical offensively and defensively.
We had a great team performance and great energy. But we have to be more clinical to win titles - we can't lose a game like that.
We are a team that wants to have the ball and doesn't hide away from home. Any side who goes to Stamford Bridge and sits back gets punished. If you allow them to play in your half they have the quality with their strikers and take advantage of mistakes.
So I decided to play in their half and overall I think we did it very well. You want to be rewarded when you produce a game of that quality and when you go home with no points we have to analyse why and be more clinical. The basis is there, the collective team quality is there but we have to transform that into points.
I wasn't angry with my team. I felt sorry for them because they had an outstanding attitude and an outstanding display. You can only congratulate them for that attitude. I feel sorry for the fact that they have not been rewarded but we live in a realistic world and when you don't score and don't take your chances then you don't win big games.
Jack Wilshere showed once again that he is a big-game player. He finished a bit tired because he gave everything but he's 18 years of age. You can only say 'Congratulations Jack' and keep going.
Abou Diaby also played well in midfield but he has a bad ankle and looks to be a doubt for the French national team.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
Dear Arsenal Supporter,
I think we demonstrated on Saturday that you can play well and lose the match.
The Chelsea game should have been over within a minute - we had the first two chances and we missed that header from six yards. I think Koscielny was too much turned towards the corner instead of turning his body and facing the goal. He did not adjust to the ball.
I think we were a bit unfortunate as well because there was a foul on Song from Ramieres in the build-up to Chelsea's first goal. After that we made a mistake that should not happen at the near post and Drogba took advantage of it.
For much of the second half it was one-way traffic and in the last 10 to 15 minutes Chelsea were counter-attacking. But we missed too many chances at that level and in the final third you need to be more clinical offensively and defensively.
We had a great team performance and great energy. But we have to be more clinical to win titles - we can't lose a game like that.
We are a team that wants to have the ball and doesn't hide away from home. Any side who goes to Stamford Bridge and sits back gets punished. If you allow them to play in your half they have the quality with their strikers and take advantage of mistakes.
So I decided to play in their half and overall I think we did it very well. You want to be rewarded when you produce a game of that quality and when you go home with no points we have to analyse why and be more clinical. The basis is there, the collective team quality is there but we have to transform that into points.
I wasn't angry with my team. I felt sorry for them because they had an outstanding attitude and an outstanding display. You can only congratulate them for that attitude. I feel sorry for the fact that they have not been rewarded but we live in a realistic world and when you don't score and don't take your chances then you don't win big games.
Jack Wilshere showed once again that he is a big-game player. He finished a bit tired because he gave everything but he's 18 years of age. You can only say 'Congratulations Jack' and keep going.
Abou Diaby also played well in midfield but he has a bad ankle and looks to be a doubt for the French national team.
Thanks for your support.
Arsène Wenger
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