Arsenal 7-1 Blackburn
Against Blackburn we got the performance and the result, which is ideally what you want. I do not give much importance to the seven goals, it is just important that we won and played well.
We remained serious, were guided by the way we want to play football and not by any extravagant individualism. That is positive. We were mature and serious, we played together until the end.
As for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, in a very short period of time he has become an important player who can make a difference. I rested him in the last 20 minutes at Bolton so he was not pushed to his limits. The medical staff said there was no risk he could damage his knee, so that is why I decided to play him.
He has made a big step in the last months. He produces team play, he is not only going forwards, he is contributing to the defending and has improved very quickly. He is a fighter as well, with personality. He is much more mature now.
Now we face Sunderland in the Premier League next week. It was important for the confidence of the side that we won this game and got three points, but the result in itself will not make us win at the Stadium of Light. What will make us win there with the confidence we got from this game is to continue to play the way we did against Blackburn. Every game is a new challenge and Sunderland are in a good spell as well. We have to be ready for that.
To win 1-0 at Sunderland would be fantastic and that’s now what we have to prepare for to produce a good performance.
