Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
Wenger reacts:
on an important win…
It was a big win for us, it was about two different halves. The first half was about playing our game with the speed of our passing and controlling the game. The second half was more about fighting, I felt it was down a little bit to first of all a different style from Villa who played three through the middle and a very direct game. Maybe we were a bit too cautious just to keep the 2-0. But it was about fighting and our defenders kept us in the game.
on a nervous finish…
Nervous finish yes, but overall you have to say that Villa did fight until the end and were committed for every single ball and you have to give them credit for that. That’s why the game was difficult in the end for us.
on whether the players became complacent…
I don’t know, was it too confident or too cautious? I think it was too cautious. Maybe we thought we’d keep control of the game and keep it at 2-0 but we lost a bit of incisiveness in our game and that desire to score more
on Rosicky and Monreal…
Rosicky has a bad nose, I don’t know is it broken or not, it looks bad.
on being disappointed with the elbow…
Honestly I didn’t see the elbow, I have to watch it again. He [Tomas Rosicky] told me that he got the elbow but he himself doesn’t know if he did it on purpose. He doesn’t know. I think Monreal is an accident but we have to check his metatarsal tomorrow morning because he got kicked on the top of the laces.
on whether Monreal’s metatarsal might be broken…
I don’t know.
on Jack Wilshere…
He has found his change of pace back, his game about that and his penetration because he’s not only a passer but he’s guy who is incisive with the ball. It’s his strengths so from that you need to be at the top of your game physically.
on Jack’s goal and assist…
You see it when you know well the players well in training. In the last games you see that he’s coming back to his best.
on winning after Chelsea and Man City both won…
We had to give a strong response because everybody looks at you and see if you drop points because they have made their points over the weekend so the only way you can deal with that is we were a bit more under pressure when you play last. You know that you’re not allowed to drop any points but you can only give one answer and that is to win the game.
on whether he enjoys those wins…
Yes, I like the fact that we are mentally ready for a fight.
on the difference in their position compared to this time last year…
That shows you that we have to be cautious because football can change quickly.
on whether he knows about Wilshere’s goal celebration…
No, I don’t speak that language.
on Ryo…
He’s not injured, he was not in the squad. You know Oxlade-Chamberlain is back and I decided to put him back in the squad and that’s why he was not involved.
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