Arsenal face Swansea this afternoon in a potential banana skin scenario as the Welsh minnows have a great record at the Emirate, but Arsene Wenger is already thinking about next weeks meeting with the League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad. Le Prof believes a win today is also vital to keep the Gunners confidence at a high before the trip to Manchester.
“At the moment, Manchester City look like they are galloping in front of everybody,” said Wenger. “They haven’t been stopped yet. Of course you start to see the first trends after 10 or 12 games. It’s an important moment of the season now and it is vital that we get into a run now that is very positive.
“All the rest [of the teams] are compact, so the target for every team is basically the same. We have to try to stop City first, then of course make yourself positive results. The run creates the confidence and the confidence creates the run. I think City are an offensive force who can score many goals. That certainly creates positivity in the team.”
But the season is still young and if Arsenal can take the wind out of City’s sails then who knows what could happen? Arsenal fans don’t want to think about the possibility of losing either game, and the fans that are hoping to see Wenger leave the club will find those hopes diminishing with every defeat as Le Prof has told the fans that he doesn’t intend to leave until he has won the coveted trophy once more. Wenger said: ‘I’m more hungry than ever because the demands are higher, because I didn’t win the Premier League for a long time, and because I want to do that before you get me out of here.
‘I have always got something to prove. I think I am born for competition. I don’ t know why, and what happened, but it is like that. No matter what I do.
After 9 League games Arsenal are currently 9 points behind Man City and our rivals have yet another winnable game away at West Brom this afternoon, so it is likely to be down to Arsenal to try and inflict a first defeat on Pep Guardiola’s side next week. Is a win there our only hope of trying to close the gap on the runaway leaders and to give Wenger a possibility of retiring in a blaze of glory?
Darren N