Arsene Wenger had a big smile on his face after Arsenal’s impressive performance in today’s Charity Shield, but he is well aware that the serious business starts next week against Crystal Palace. He was at least happy with our first half performance….
Wenger said on Arsenal.com: “I felt we had a complete performance in the first half as long as we had the legs to sustain what we wanted to do. In the second half our togetherness and the third goal got us through. We defended well, we lost a bit more of the ball than in the first half and our movements were less fluent but we kept the spirit and organisation. The first half was very exciting.
“To win today gives us a positive platform to prepare but now the Premier League starts and we have to start well at home because it’s a derby, it’s a very uncomfortable team [we face in Crystal Palace]. It will be a different kind of game as well. Let’s be on our toes and prepare well but it was important to win today.
“You want to win the game and you want to look at the quality of the performance as well. I think it was important for our confidence to win the game but it was as well even more important to have a big part in the game with a quality performance. That is the comfort for me to see that we can produce the kind of quality we can produce for some long patches in the game.
Arsenal have become renowned in recent seasons for falling apart when it comes to the top rival teams in the Premiership, but today proved that they can hold their own even against the Premier League Champions. “That’s why it was important for us today not to lose the game.” Wenger continued. “On that front we know that last year we were very consistent against the teams outside the top six and not consistent against the top six teams. The year before it was reversed so let’s hope that this year it will be right on both sides.”
Postive thinking Arsene, that’s the way forward! Let’s keep this going all the way to next May!
COYG!