Arsene Wenger: ‘The players gave a faultless performance’
on the performance…
We gave a good performance tonight and we are disappointed because we touched qualification. We had the chances and we didn’t do it, but we were very close. I felt that we suffered a bit in the second half physically because we gave a lot at Liverpool. Overall I feel we didn’t have many options on the bench in midfield and in the second half we had more problems keeping the ball than in the first half. When we tired in midfield we had no options on the bench and the regret I have is there. The players put in a faultless performance, with fantastic spirit and you can only congratulate the whole team.
on the first leg…
We have played so many games away in the Champions League and we have never lost 4-0 anywhere. We have played at Real Madrid, at Barcelona and we have played against better teams than Milan so it was very disappointing because our performance was poor.
on feeling proud…
I don’t know if it is one of my proudest nights but it is a night when players can be proud to play for this Club because they put every effort in. If you win 3-0 at home you can only say well done to the players. You know that if you play 180 minutes and you miss 90, it is difficult at this level. We were very close.
on whether the players need to be lifted…
We are on a good run in the league and we know it will be difficult [to lift the players] because it is a big disappointment, but the team have grown together. Hopefully from here we can finish the season in a strong way because we know there is no room for disappointment in the league. For us every point is a battle and until the end of the season that is what is in front of us.
on the referee…
I was not happy with the referee tonight because I felt he gave many free kicks in the middle of the park. Every time [MIlan’s players] went down a free kick was given to them, and they sensed that very quickly and used it very well.
on Van Persie’s second-half chance…
What can I say? The one you would want the chance to go to was Van Persie. He tried to chip the goalkeeper, and you have to give credit to Abbiati. It is a fraction where the players have to make a decision, but credit to the keeper.
on Oxlade-Chamberlain…
For a guy who has never played at the top level in central midfield, he started in a Champions League game and he did well. He tired a bit in the second half after his injury, and he got less of the ball than he did in the first half. When he got the ball, you always think something could happen. He can play all of the places across the pitch, in midfield to wide. You could see he has suffered physically, but also that he has the class to be in there.
on the team’s recent good performances…
I have to give credit to Tomas Rosicky for that. He was again outstanding here. In all of these games, he was one of the most influential players, and he does not always get the credit he deserves, so I would like to take this opportunity to give him credit.
on the defensive display…
I felt defensively we were not at the [right] level in Milan. Tonight our defenders were outstanding and the back four did very well. We had a very offensive team and to keep Milan from scoring, we needed an outstanding performance at the back and we did that very well.
Massimiliano Allegri: back among the top 8 teams on the continent.
The important thing was to get through to the next round. Perhaps after the 4-0 in the first leg some one thought it would be easy but that’s not what happened. They played a good first half, we were a little, not really nervous it was more our control of the play rather than trying to score. It’s been a while since we played with three strikers, even if they all worked very hard up front. They played a good first half, when we had the ball instead of pushing forward we turned back. In the second half we found more courgage and their play fell a bit.
Tonight was the game of the season. Real Madrid and Barcelona at the moment are the best teams in Europe but this team when we’re at full strength we can have our say as well. After four years of going out at the last sixteen of the competition, I think that this evening, making it to the quarter finals was important for the club, we’re back among the best 8 in Europe and next season we’ll have a better seeding as well. Aquilani gave the team good geometry and he’s only been back training for a couple of sessions. Van Bommel played a great game.
