Arsenal 3-0 Manchester City – Wembley Stadium
Coach Arsene Wenger reacts:
on the performance…
I felt we had a complete performance in the first half as long as we had the legs to sustain what we wanted to do. In the second half our togetherness and the third goal got us through. We defended well, we lost a bit more of the ball than in the first half and our movements were less fluent but we kept the spirit and organisation. The first half was very exciting.
on looking forward to the Premier League season…
To win today gives us a positive platform to prepare but now the Premier League starts and we have to start well at home because it’s a derby, it’s a very uncomfortable team [we face in Crystal Palace]. It will be a different kind of game as well. Let’s be on our toes and prepare well but it was important to win today.
on judging the importance of games like the Community Shield…
You want to win the game and you want to look at the quality of the performance as well. I think it was important for our confidence to win the game but it was as well even more important to have a big part in the game with a quality performance. That is the comfort for me to see that we can produce the kind of quality we can produce for some long patches in the game.
on his attacking options this season…
I have more attacking options than I had for a long time – that’s for sure. Three, four, five years ago, every year we lost a big player. In the last two years, we added players like Ozil and this season like Alexis so of course that strengthens the squad. I am of course very ambitious but I’m a bit cautious because I have quite a good experience. I look around and see the other teams have strengthened as well so it will be interesting to watch the Premier League because it looks like all the big teams will be very strong.
on beating a top-four side…
That’s why it was important for us today not to lose the game. On that front we know that last year we were very consistent against the teams outside the top six and not consistent against the top six teams. The year before it was reversed so let’s hope that this year it will be right on both sides.
Coach Manchester City Pellegrini:
“In the first half we didn’t play with the pace we showed in pre-season and Arsenal scored two goals because we didn’t defend very well.
“In the second half we played well, we had possession of the ball and had chances to score.
“Today was not the date to make pressure on me for places, it was one game more of pre-season. We’ve had seven players who only played five days who weren’t in consideration – lots more who only played eight or nine days.
“It’s difficult to be ready in two weeks. We’ll see during the week which players are ready and which are not.
“We were missing key players but I think the lack of pace in the first-half was the main problem.”
