Arsenal would be facing a very tricky and crucial first week back after the latest international break even if Arsene Wenger did not have to cope without six regular first team players (it was seven but at least the boss has revealed that Hector Bellerin is fit again).
Two Premier League away games, at West Brom tomorrow and then Norwich City next Sunday, are punctuated by a must-win home clash with Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb and with a stretched squad that is a tough eight days of football. Or it would be if we really were intent on winning that Champions League game.
Wenger did say after the defeat to Bayern Munich in Germany that Arsenal would still be giving it their all to try to qualify for the next round but I am not so sure and the words of the former Arsenal and France star Robert Pires this week have done nothing to change my mind.
Pires has been training with the Arsenal squad and so has been in regular contact with his former boss, so when I read the Daily Mail report containing his words about Wenger´s priorities, it sounded like he was letting something slip.
The 42-year old said, “Of course [winning the title] is possible. It’s plausible because it’s the goal of Arsene Wenger.
“He wouldn’t tell you that, but if he has to choose between the Champions League and the Premier League, he will choose the league because it’s more difficult to win and he is a very competitive person.”
Pires had been talking about his belief that Arsenal could win the EPL title this season as long as the injury problems do not hurt us too much, so is he actually revealing the thoughts of the Prof and does this mean that Arsenal will field another weakened team in the Champions League?