Coaches Arsene Wenger and Roberto Mancini react on the game Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal:
Wenger: ‘I hope that this will reinforce our belief’
on the performance…
I am pleased because [a point] was the minimum we deserved today. I am pleased also with the quality of our performance and our spirit. Also a bit frustrated because I feel there was room to do more. We had early chances and very late chances, especially Gervinho at the edge of the box where he missed the target. But overall I hope this will reinforce our belief and confidence and reassure us about our potential in this league.
on Vermaelen’s absence…
He had ‘flu yesterday, and we left him at home. But Laurent Koscielny had a great game and stepped in very well. We have three classy centre backs, and it is a very difficult choice. Koscielny, Mertesacker and Vermaelen – no matter who is left out can feel it is not right. But I will rotate them and take into consideration the strikers we will face.
on conceding from a set piece…
I take this criticism on board because we conceded the goal from a corner, but Man City are the team who score more goals than anyone else from set pieces. On the other hand it is true we missed chances, but when you have the basic quality that we showed today, the rest can improve.
on Mannone’s late save…
He had a good game again today. He looks very solid. He made a little mistaken the corner [for Manchester City’s goal] and was very frustrated with it, but overall I am happy that it didn’t affect his game after. I like what he is doing.
Roberto Mancini admitted he was disappointed with the manner City conceded a late equaliser to Arsenal.
The Blues are yet to record a clean sheet this season and the wait will now go into the eighth game of the campaign away to Fulham next Saturday.
“I think we need to improve our defending at set-pieces because this has been a problem for us this season,” said Mancini.
“We can do better and we need to work on this area. We are finding it hard not to concede at the moment and we are probably two points worse off than we should be so far this season.
“I’m frustrated and the players are frustrated but we will get things right, I’m sure. We didn’t play very well today and we were getting a little overrun in the first half which is why I changed Sinclair for Rodwell.”
Responding to whether he believed his players were still thinking of the events of last season, Mancini said: “I hope not. What we did is in the past, now.
“We should have held on to our lead but this has been a problem for us lately. We played too deep and invited trouble.”
