Arsene Wenger was relieved to come out of a scrappy 1-0 win against Newcastle victorious.
The Gunners’ hard earned three points thanks to Laurent Koscielny’s winner sends them clear at the top of the table.
It wasn’t pretty, but Wenger admitted the win is all that matters.
To not drop points with the way we played today, I think it is very important.
It helps the team as well because you go through moments where you don’t play well. The memory of having done that before and still having won the game, helps you to hang on sometimes.
It’s the old cliché of having to win games when not at your best to win the league which will be reeled out after this performance.
And Arsenal won’t care a jot of that, building on dropped points by Leicester City from their last three games and getting six points themselves over the same number of games.
But Wenger was keen to play down the link of title winners and playing poorly but still winning, instead focussing on the mental qualities his team produced to claim the win.
It is too far [title talk]. We are on 42 points. Let’s be realistic.
I think we should focus being on a strong performance and focus more on our performance.
I have been in football long enough to know if you are Newcastle’s players you feel for them because they played very well.
But I know because I have been in a long time when you are capable to win and don’t play well that shows a mental aspect of your team that will be very important in moments that will be difficult.
Arsenal come through the Christmas period with nine points from a possible 12.
Wenger agreed they are off the required level of performance but won’t dwell on that, taking into account previous points hauls of title chasers.
A little bit. I think we have given a lot during Christmas.
At the end of the day what do people look at after Christmas? Four games and how many points you have made. Nine points is acceptable or even good. Ten is close to ideal because you look at last year and I think Manchester City made 10 and after the second best made seven and we made six or seven.
Manchester United made seven, Manchester City made 10 points over Christmas. Nine is not bad.
Wenger said it was a difficult game, his players looked ‘heavy’ and were tested by a technically good Magpies side.
He was again delighted with Cech’s display in goal.
Our fluency was not there and our movement was not there. Our motto was try to stick together and win the game how we can.
The mental aspect of our team and our defence mentality was tested today rather than our quality going forward.
[Cech] made two big saves, one in the first half and one in the second half and on top of that he gives calm dynamics. Today we needed that.
