Arsene Wenger believes that Arsenal should feel positive ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United. In the league, the north Londoners currently sit fourth with 13 points, three behind leaders and opposition on Sunday Manchester United.
The Gunners have endured a torrid time however in the UEFA Champions League. After losing away to Dinamo Zagreb in their first group stage game, Arsenal again lost in Europe this week, in a home game to Greek side Olympiacos.
Wenger, however, opted for optimism.
I don’t see why we should be absolutely down.
The Frenchman added that Arsenal must analyse their Premier League results, rather than the European.
We are on the back of three or four good results in the Premier League.
Yes, we had a disappointment in the Champions League, and we have to analyse it well.
It was disappointing to lose, but overall every competition is different, you have to go in a different competition in a different state of mind and we have to be inspired by what we did at Leicester.
The longtime Arsenal boss then addressed his side’s title chances.
If I say now that we are three points behind Man United, playing Man United at home and I don’t believe that we can win the Premier League, what would you [the media] tell me? You will slaughter me.
After two straight losses in the Champions League, the Gunners chances of passing into the last 16 looks slim, especially with back-to-back games against Bayern Munich coming up.
Wenger, however, is keen to right the wrongs of his team in Europe.
It’s worrying because when you accept to take the initiative of the game you also have to accept you can lose the game.
I don’t explain the fact that we lost the two games in the Champions League by being inferior.
We’ve played two teams who accepted our superiority at the start [and played defensively].
Wenger then backed his side and admitted that Arsenal’s adventurous style will split opinion.
If you play offensive football and you lose, everybody kills you. But if you sit for 10 games with a team which refuses to play then you will fall asleep and everybody says: ‘why don’t you attack?’
