Arsene Wenger meluahkan perasaan gembira beliau mengenai prestasi Arsenal ekoran kejayaan pasukan menewaskan Brighton sebelum liga berehat seketika bagi memberi laluan kepada 'international break'.
Arsenal yang menerima kunjungan Brighton di Stadium Emirates berjaya menewaskan pasukan itu 2-0 hasil jaringan Nacho Monreal dan Alex Iwobi yang kini bersama pasukan kebangsaan masing-masing bagi menghadapi perlawanan kelayakan Piala Dunia 2018 Rusia.
Wenger jelas gembira dengan prestasi pasukan ketika ini yang mampu mengekalkan rekod kemenangan selepas mengalami kekalahan kepada Liverpool pada awal musim.
Beliau yang bercakap pada laman rasmi Arsenal, menjelaskan persembahan Arsenal menjelang 'international break' kali ini lebih baik berbanding awal musim dimana Arsenal mengalami kekalahan memalukan ditangan Liverpool 4-0.
I would say that we kept a clean sheet, we got the points and offensively we were certainly not ruthless enough. Our focus and the pace in the game was a bit in and out, we had good moments and as well moments where we lost a bit our concentration in balls that we usually don`t lose, but we got what we wanted and it was just before the break. Our last international break was a nightmare, this one is a bit better.
Dan Wenger seolah-olah menganggap kedatangan 'international break' kali bagaikan menganggu momentum pasukan yang berjaya mengekalkan rekod tanpa kalah selepas menentang Liverpool.
Beliau turut mengharapkan pemain-pemain yang dilepaskan bagi tugasan bersama skuad kebangsaan masing-masing mampu kembali tanpa mengalami sebarang kecederaan disamping cukup cergas bagi menghadapi saingan liga seterusnya.
Yes I would have loved to continue to play, but we cannot do anything about that and let`s hope that the players come back in good shape. Some players will not go on the international break. Laurent Koscielny, because he has an Achilles problem, Mesut Ozil because he has an inflammation of his knee and Danny Welbeck as well because he`s not fit
Ketika ini, Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil dan Danny Welbeck tidak menyertai skuad kebangsaan masing-masing ekoran kecederaan yang dialami oleh pemain-pemain ini.
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| Koscielny salah seorang pemain Arsenal yang tidak menyertai tugasan bersama skuad kebangsaan akibat kecederaan. |
Kekalahan kepada Liverpool
Bercakap mengenai kekalahan kepada Liverpool, Wenger menjelaskan dimana beliau gembira dengan kebangkitan pasukan dengan memenangi perlawanan selepas itu.I knew that after the game at Liverpool everybody did write us off, I knew that it just depends on us, on how much we respond. Nothing is permanent, you are not bad in a permanent way if you can do something about it and you`re not good in a permanent way if you don`t keep your urgency, so we responded in a united way and we could put some wins together and some good performances as well.
Soal Pendahulu Liga
Wenger menjelaskan dimana masih terlalu awal untuk meramalkan pasukan mana yang bakal menjuarai liga musim ini.
Walaupun ketika ini Man.City dan Man.United menerajui liga, namun liga masih diperingkat awal untuk kedua-dua pasukan tersebut berada selesa bagi menjuarai liga.
Dengan mengambil contoh Man.City pada musim lalu berada ditangga teratas liga dengan mengumpul 18 mata selepas enam perlawanan dan akhirnya liga dimenangi oleh Chelsea.
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| Chelsea menjuarai liga 2016/17. |
Dan tidak mustahil peluang Arsenal untuk muncul juara tetap ada dengan syarat Arsenal berjaya mengekalkan momentum kemenangan dan sekurang-kurangnya mengelak daripada menerima kekalahan.
Iwobi
Wenger turut memuji aksi Iwobi walaupun sebelum perlawanan ini beliau dilaporkan mengalami kecederaan.
Dan Wenger mensasarkan Iwobi menjaringkan 10 gol disamping enam hingga 10 bantuan gol dihasilkan beliau musim ini.
I think he`s a kind of player who has a good availability. He helps you a lot to get out of pressure when you are in a build up game and creates spaces. What you want from him is final balls and goals as well. A player like him must score 10 goals and he must as well give between six and 10 assists and that`s what I want from him.
Sead Kolasinac juga dapat pujian.
Selain Iwobi, Kolasinac turut mendapat pujian Wenger yang menyifatkan tiada siapa mengenali beliau sebelum ini lebih-lebih lagi perpindahan beliau yang tidak menelan belanja besar.
I believe that it`s satisfaction since he arrived here. You know why nobody talks about him so much, because the transfer amount was not excessive, but what is important is the quality of his performances. I am very happy with his performances.
Bantuan gol yang dihasilkan Alexis Sanchez kepada Iwobi yang menjaringkan gol pertama beliau dalam saingan liga semenjak kali terakhir beliau (Iwobi) menjaringkan pada Januari lalu, turut mendapat perhatian Wenger.
It was a real thing of beauty. Alexis gave some great balls today and that was one of them. I like the fact that we didn`t concede goals, that we got the three points, that we played the third game in a row in six days and won the game, that`s what I liked. What I liked less is that on the focus sometimes I feel we eased off a bit and missed some passes that we are not used to missing because our concentration was a bit in and out.
Kreatif
Tegas Wenger, Arsenal perlu lebih kreatif dalam menghadapi pasukan yang bermain secara bertahan dan perlu mengelak daripada melakukan kesilapan seperti kehilangan bola akibat terlalu ghairah untuk mengejar gol.
It`s important to be imaginative against a defensive team, and as well to move the ball quickly, but sometimes I felt with the desire to speed the game up we confused ourselves a bit, rushing the game and moving the ball quickly. We rushed and wanted to go directly to the decisive ball, we were not patient enough and we lost some balls because of that. Overall we need creativity and the best example is certainly our second goal.