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Showing posts with label arsene wenger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arsene wenger. Show all posts

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Gunners Can Pass Bayern Test - Arsene Wenger


Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal have no reason to fear Bayern Munich as they prepare to face the UEFA Champions League holders in the last 16 first leg on Wednesday.

Just 12 months after they crashed out of Europe's elite club competition at the hands of the German giants, Wenger's team have an opportunity for revenge after being drawn to face Bayern at the same stage.

Arsenal were outclassed in the first leg last season as Bayern, who were then managed by Jupp Heynckes, cruised to a 3-1 victory in north London.

But the Gunners responded with a shock 2-0 win in the return game and came close to completing a stunning fightback before bowing out on away goals.

Winning in Munich proved a major boost for Wenger's side, who had lost their way at that time but finished the season strongly and have maintained their impressive form for much of the current campaign.

Yet Bayern, now coached by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, are arguably an even more formidable force this season than they were last year, when they won the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup.

The Bavarians will swagger into the Emirates Stadium on a 46-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga.

They lead the German top-flight by 16 points, allowing them to focus fully on retaining the Champions League crown they won against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last year.

Optimistic Arsenal
But Wenger remains optimistic and the Gunners manager is confident the experience of last season's encounters will stand his players in good stead as they seek to end Bayern's reign as holders.

"I think we know them better, individually the players," he said. "We will be in a better condition hopefully, because last year was after the disappointment of losing against Blackburn in the FA Cup, to play Bayern three days later it was very difficult for us.

"I think in the league as well we were in a much more difficult position. Now we are mentally better prepared to go into a game of that stature."

While Bayern have swept aside all challengers under Heynckes and now Guardiola, Arsenal's trophy drought has stretched into a ninth year.

Still, the Gunners' French midfielder Mathieu Flamini sees no reason for his team-mates to go into the tie with an inferiority complex.

Citing Sunday's gritty 2-1 FA Cup fifth round win over Liverpool as proof of Arsenal's improved spirit and mental strength, Flamini said: "What I will say about this season is that I see a great commitment, I see everyone working very hard on the pitch and helping each other.

"We know it won't be an easy game because Bayern are a very strong team, but we are Arsenal, we have big ambitions. We will do everything to qualify for the next round in the Champions League."

Arsenal will be without suspended Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta, but Bayern have more significant absentees.

Bayern absentees
France winger Franck Ribery is sidelined after buttock surgery, while Swiss forward Xherdan Shaqiri suffered a thigh injury after scoring twice in Saturday's 4-0 win over Freiburg.

Even those injuries are unlikely to perturb Guardiola, whose side are respectful of the dangers posed by Arsenal without being intimidated by the Premier League team.

"We're not going there for a 0-0 draw, we want to win in London, of course," Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said. "It won't be easy, they have put some confidence back in the tank after the Liverpool result."

Centre-back Jerome Boateng believes Arsenal are "stronger" than last season and he claimed Mesut Ozil has added an extra menace to their attacking play, even though the Germany international has endured an up and down first season in English football.

"Mesut Ozil is their key player and we have to be wide awake," Boateng said. "We have to prove on the pitch that we are better. We don't want to go into the return match chasing a result."

Source: Fifa.com

Sunday, 9 February 2014

SPORTS: Wenger Dumbfounded By 'Naive' Arsenal


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger branded his side "naive" and said that they had conceded goals "in slow-motion" after they crashed 5-1 at Premier League title rivals Liverpool.

Liverpool scored four goals in the first 20 minutes at Anfield en route to a victory that took them to within five points of Arsenal, who went into the weekend as league leaders.

"It was a very poor day," Wenger told BT Sport. "Only the fans were good for 90 minutes. All the rest on our side, we were poor -- defensively, offensively -- and they (the goals) were all scored in slow-motion.

"Overall, on top of that, we were caught on two set-pieces at the start. But the performance was very poor and Liverpool played very well, so congratulations to them. We have to bounce back from that, and as quickly as possible.

"We were too open. Every acceleration from Liverpool was deadly for us and defensively, from up front to the back, we were not at the level that you are used to."

For Arsenal, it was the worst possible start to a run of fixtures that includes a league game with Manchester United on Wednesday, another meeting with Liverpool in the FA Cup next weekend, and a UEFA Champions League last-16 tie with defending champions Bayern Munich.

Asked how his side could put the defeat by Liverpool behind them, Wenger replied: "By the desire to give the right response. These are top-level sportsmen.

"We have shown since the start of the season we can do that, but of course it raises some questions today (Saturday) because we were caught many times and were a bit naive."

He added: "I'm confident we will (bounce back). Of course we produced a poor performance on a day when you couldn't afford it. But we have to think why, why it happened, and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was unsurprisingly delighted by his team's display, but he was reluctant to talk up their title chances.

"It was an incredible performance," he said. "It's not the first time we've been outstanding at home, but everything about us today was incredible. Everything was outstanding.

"We've been getting better and better. We've got a lot of young players, developing well. But for us it's just about improving."

A brace from Martin Skrtel put Liverpool 2-0 up inside ten minutes, with Raheem Sterling adding a double and Daniel Sturridge also finding the net before Mikel Arteta replied for Arsenal with a 69th-minute penalty.


Source: Fifa.com