Wenger: 'I'm confident the team will refocus'

on the result...
"It was very frustrating because the crowd was very good and we were not good. The support of the crowd was always behind the team and wanted to push us. They defended well and I felt that it looked too easy and we lost concentration on the set-piece. And when you do that you're punished and that's what happened today. After that it was close many times but we didn't create enough overall. We were not sharp enough to do it and because they defended well and it's as simple as that."

on bringing in new faces...
"I don't look for anybody and I feel that last excuse to find when you don't win a game - with a team who has won so many games since the start of the season - is to say 'let's go out and buy'. It's a little bit too easy and it's not a way I want to go."

on O'Connor's goal...
"I don't believe that Senderos was caught in the set-piece, there were two or three other players involved who didn't jump for the ball and that's why we got punished. "

on the title race...
"I feel the situation is so tight up front, every game is important, you know? It's very difficult to say what months will be crucial. The only thing I know, today we lost two points we should not have lost and I'm confident that the team will refocus, because they are really disappointed. We need sharply to refocus because that kind of focus we have shown today is not sufficient. "

on Walcott standing in for Rosicky...
"I wouldn't like to criticise any individual performance today, I feel we had so many good games, he played his third game of the week. He was planned to be rested today but Rosicky got sick last night. So he, I feel, physically suffered a little bit."

[ Saturday, January 12, 2008]

Van Persie struck down with flu but good news on injury

Arsène Wenger believes that the recurrence of Robin van Persie’s thigh problem is “minor” however the Dutchman will still miss the weekend game with Birmingham because he has been struck down with flu. The Arsenal striker was substituted just 45 minutes into his return from injury against Tottenham on Wednesday night. It was feared that Van Persie had aggravated the muscular problem in his thigh that had kept him sidelined since mid-December. In his post-match press conference, Wenger said the 24-year-old would be undergoing tests in the morning.

The vibes seem positive however a different problem will prevent him being involved on Saturday at Emirates Stadium. “There is no real news because he got flu overnight,” Wenger told Arsenal TV Online on Thursday afternoon. “He is in bed and the doctor has gone over to see him. That means he is out for Saturday’s game anyway.

But we don’t believe it is a real recurrence of the injury and it might be minor.” Both of Arsenal’s starting centre backs picked up injuries against Tottenham. One is out for Saturday and the other is doubtful. But, even with Kolo Toure and Alex Song having left for the African Nations Cup, the manager believes he can cope. “Djourou is out but Senderos has not been completely assessed by the medical staff yet,” said Wenger.

“We will know more about him on Friday. The options are those who played last night or Gilberto or Sagna. So we have players. Everyone else is alright.” Arsenal TV Online subscribers will be able to see the full video interview on Friday. In it, Arsène discusses:

-Reflections on the Tottenham game
-Arsenal’s psychological edge
-the second leg
-the latest on Lehmann and Diarra
-Birmingham’s progress this season
-the Arsenal connection at St Andrews
-the departure of Sam Allardyce from Newcastle

Gilberto - Our run helped us ‘escape’ with draw

Gilberto believes that Arsenal’s impressive record in North London derbies could be affecting Tottenham. On Wednesday night, Arsène Wenger’s 20-game unbeaten run against the ‘old enemy’ was within 11 minutes of being shattered. Even Arsenal’s equaliser had an element of good fortune as Lee Young-Pyo’s clearance hit Theo Walcott and bobbled into the net. The Brazilian admitted his side ‘escaped’ with only a one-goal deficit in the first half. But, he added, that late equaliser keeps the tie alive for the second leg. “Maybe [the run] does affect them,” said the 31-year-old. “It is hard when you face a team and have not beaten them for a long time. You do not know what is going to happen, especially if we score first.

“It is important for us in these types of games to be mentally strong because, if you let things happen, they can take advantage of it. “The only thing on our mind when we play them is that it will be hard, even though we have not lost for some time.

“Every game is tough and if we do not do our game properly, it can become difficult for us. Things have worked well for us [in the past] because we have done the job properly.” But it so nearly went wrong on Wednesday. Arsenal were dominated towards the end of the opening period and few were surprised to see them go behind eight minutes before the interval.

“In the first half, they created so many good chances and could have killed the game,” said Gilberto. “We escaped a second or even third goal.

“In the second half, we did not give them much space. We got a goal from Walcott and we are still alive in the competition. “It was not the result we wanted, we know that but, in the circumstances, being 1-0 down against a good side [it was OK]. We now have the second leg to decide our future. “It will be a difficult game at White Hart Lane but we know what we have to do to get through.”

On This Day In Arsenal History (9 Jan)

1932
Cliff Bastin scored four goals and David Jack a hat-trick in Arsenal’s record 11-1 FA Cup Third-Round win at home to Lancashire club Darwen

1954
Don Roper netted twice as Tom Whittaker’s team gained a convincing 5-1 FA Cup Third-Round victory over Aston Villa at Highbury

2005
Arsenal recovered from going a goal down to win 2-1 at home to Stoke City in FA Cup Third Round with goals from Jose Antonio Reyes and Robin van Persie

Wenger - Stoke can shock Newcastle in replay

The bookies make Newcastle firm favourites to overcome Stoke and earn a FA Cup Fourth Round trip to Emirates Stadium, but Arsene Wenger is not so sure.

The Arsenal manager listened in as the Championship side held their Premier League opponents to a 0-0 draw at Britannia Stadium on Sunday and expects the Third Round replay on January 16 to be another close contest.

"I saw only the highlights of Newcastle and Stoke because we were travelling back [from Burnley] on Sunday," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.

"We listened on the radio instead. It will be very tight in the replay as Stoke look to be a very good side. Sometimes in the Cup it is not easier to play at home but more difficult and they look to be good on the break.

"It is difficult to predict who we will play against."

Eduardo is O2 Arsenal.com Player of the Month

Eduardo was still finding his feet in the hustle and bustle of English football at the start of last month but by the end of December he was justifying Arsene Wenger's billing as Arsenal's "secret weapon". The fans certainly agree - they have picked the Croatian striker as their Player of the Month.

Eduardo only featured in five of Arsenal's nine games but still did enough to scoop 27.8 per cent of the votes. He was quiet at Newcastle and Middlesbrough but exploded into life in the Carling Cup win at Blackburn, firing the young Gunners into a two-goal lead and slotting home the winner in extra time after Rovers had pegged back Wenger's side.

The Croatian produced two more clinical strikes at Everton to turn a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 lead. It was yet more evidence that the Croatian is probably the Club's most natural finisher since Ian Wright. Eduardo has staked an early claim for the January prize too after goals against West Ham and Burnley, taking his recent tally to six in just four games.

Manuel Almunia finished second in our December poll, earning plaudits for his consistency in goal - and that penalty save against Tottenham before Christmas. Gael Clichy, consistently excellent at left back, was third.

December Player of the Month Results

Player	%
Eduardo	27.8%
Manuel Almunia	16.9%
Gael Clichy	13.9%
Others	41.4%

Competition winner Phil Allen from Epping in Essex has won the chance to present Eduardo with his award before the home fixture against Birmingham on Saturday.

"Eduardo has found his feet at last," said Phil. "He is looking so classy and scored some vital goals in December - he's definitely my player of the month."

To Player Of The Month Homepage

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Welcome to all Arsenal fans..Congratulations to y'all..Arsenal is now still on top in the Challenge to the Barclay's Premiere League's Champion..

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