BPL match of week 8: Arsenal – Manchester United
Arsenal has the chance to join Manchester United to the top of the table and leaves the Champions League home defeat away; Coach Wenger and van Gall preview Sunday’s clash.
Wenger – Arsenal:
“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.
“It is a special fixture because usually Man United are always fighting at the top,” the manager said. “It has an even bigger meaning now because there are three points between the teams, and we play at home in a big game. We have just come from a big win at Leicester and we want to continue our run. We are the only team who has beaten [Leicester], so I don’t see why we should not believe we can beat Manchester United.
“At the moment it is too difficult to say that any team dominates the championship,” added Wenger. “It is so tight that one point more after seven games does not mean you will suddenly make a big difference in the league. It is settling at the moment and it is a very important time in the Premier League but you cannot come to a conclusion that one team is above everybody else.”
Van Gaal – Manchester United
“I think Arsenal are one of the best teams in the league, in a technical and tactical sense – maybe the best. I like the way they play. Nevertheless, they haven’t won so much so you have to look for that improvement with their team. But I’m not their manager so I don’t have to do that!
“We played a very lucky game at the Emirates last season. I believe Arsenal were better, but we were better in the game in the FA Cup and we lost. That’s football. You can lose even when you are the better team. We also drew at home so that shows that we are equal more or less. Arsenal is a very good team with individual players from a high level, I think.”
“Which players are in shape [form] is also important because you have players who can decide the match and you also have players in your squad that don’t decide the match so that’s also important. The referee is important. You also need a little bit of luck.”
