Arsene Wenger accepts that a draw was probably a fair result after Arsenal and Manchester City shared the spoils at the Emirates this evening.
David Silva put the visitors ahead in the first half before the Gunners rallied in the second, deservedly equalising through Mathieu Flamini’s well-taken effort from a Podolski cross.
Speaking at the end of a traumatic seven days which has seen his side’s title-ambitions crumble, the boss paid tribute to a show of character from a squad that has endured a week of criticism.
“Maybe, yes [the draw was the fairest result]. We were a bit nervy at the start, insecure in our attitude by our last two results. But even when we were 1-0 down you could see the team was ready for a fight and we controlled the second half – we controlled the first 20 minutes.
“Overall in the first half maybe they had another chance, in the second half we had a second chance. We could have won it in the second half but overall it was a game of quality between two good teams and the game was played with a great spirit on both sides.
“With what happened last week of course if you read the newspapers you can’t believe that, but if you look at our results since the start of the season, we are in the semi-final of the FA Cup. We knocked out Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton, we lost against Bayern with 10 men and played a 1-1 [in Germany]. You don’t do that if you’re terrible and with the players we have out and what we have shown today, I think it’s remarkable.
“Of course you could see with the 2-2 against Swansea that the team was on the floor and hugely disappointed because we conceded an own goal in the last minute. Despite that, we responded very well here.”
After Chelsea lost at Crystal Palace, the Gunners end the day a point closer to the leaders although with Everton playing Fulham tomorrow there’s also a worry that the gap between themselves and the fifth placed Toffees could be cut to four points before next week’s trip to Goodison Park.
“What happens at Chelsea doesn’t help us because it does not give us more points here,” reflected Wenger.
“It just shows that we have absolutely to fight until the end of the season because everybody can beat everybody. Chelsea lost today at Crystal Palace, so that means all of us have to be careful and consistent.
“Mathematically we are still in there but it is not in our hands. That means you cannot say it is just depending on us and it is not realistic maybe to say that today. We have to look above us and behind us as well, because behind us they are coming as well.”
If we keep up that 2nd half performance going into last few games of the season I’m confident we will be happy come the end of season COYG
Wouldn’t it be a way to win the league if we won it. There’s no pressure on us and that might just drive us on. And then before anyone realizes what is happening, we’ve won da ting
we ain’t going to win this league with 82 points which is the max we can get now. was probably asking too much for this squad to play champions league and go for the league title and deal with so many injuries to key players. boys did well in the second half and could have got all three points against a tired looking city. we should be aiming to win the last 6 and hope we can sneak into third and bring the cup back to the home of football. that would be a pretty strong showing in my book.… Read more »
I hate how your thumbs up to thumbs down ratio is 8:2
i hope we will now win all our remaining fixture. COYG ..
Flaminis celebration was that of a mad man and thats how i want the AFC players for rest of season. Go mad on the pitch.
“Get off your fucking arse and cheer for your fucking team” Flamini gestured to the crowd.
Really thought we had it in the second half. So frustrated. We played really well but that should be the standard from the lads, not the exception. We’ll look back on this season yet again with the “what might have beens”. We have the goods, we just don’t use them all the time. Also I almost kicked the TV when our #1 Pole took almost 30 seconds to take a goal kick around the 90 mins when we needed the 3 points faaaaar more than City.
Think about it. Only taking a point at this stage (in the title race, not a race for fourth) still leaves us 2 games behind Chelsea. A point here and there is good for a Champions League slot but now we must rely on the big teams to loose at least twice in the last few games for a title shot – instead of just the once.
If the players give 100% between now and the end of season then I think nearly every supporter would be happy
We need Wenger to give 100% in the transfer market. I’ll believe it when I see it
Let’s just focus on winning all our remaining games, and see what happens. It’s all we can do now.
Just replicate that second half performance…with a bit more hunger infront of goal for the remainder of our matches…and who knows,..Podolski might just be tweeting about the double with 2 #ahas …..#fingerscrossed, #terribleterry
fight for this season and then move onwards and upwards by improving the squad
Absolutely the right response from the players, and even if we might have been able to improve on the result I don’t have any complaints. Thought rosicky was fantastic, cazorla just about back to his mercurial dribbly best, vermaelen very solid, sagna is a beast.
Mourinho: “I told the ball boy not to waste time because he runs the risk of one of my players to punch him.” #specialistinfailure
Mourinho tried to finger a ballboy. I saw it on MOTD.
WTF don’t joke about those things you fucking retard. Maureen may be a cunt but how do you feel when other cunts sing about Wenger beeing a pedofile? How old are you? 5?
Oh come on, lighten up. A cheeky bit of fingering here and there never really hurt no one…
uh oh. someone went to catholic school.
If we take max points from here on out and we sit at 82
For Chelsea to get 81: play 6, win 3 draw 3 OR Win 4 lose 2
For City to get 81: Play 8, win 4, draw 2, lose 2
For Liverpool to get 81: Play 7, win 4, draw 1, lose 2
Are the odds good? No. Like one in a hundred not good? No, more like one in a million.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMRrNY0pxfM
#COYG
In a situation like ours today, Mourinho would have created some controversy & probably managed to win the game. E.g. Getting on of the many players yellow carded to be provoked into another book able offence.
I can’t choose between the win at all ugly cost or stay classy like Wenger. Some in the middle would be nice.
The odds to finish top are not in our favour. OTOH we must finish as high as possible. Coupled with an FA cup, it will represent modest but significant improvement in the right direction. It will also allow us to load on the players we need in the summer better. 3rd or better is still a realistic finish. 1st is a stretch. If we finish 3rd or better + FA cup, Wenger will likely stay on and may have a chance at keeping Sagna. The core of this team is strong and contrary to the bollocks spewed by the media,… Read more »
Aguero – ?????
Negredo – Giroud
Dzeko – Saonogo/Bendtner
Jovetic – Podolski
Come on now, you know better.
Boyata–>Rosicky………………..
Wow………. A shitty Centreback/right back being compared to a dynamic ball playing energetic rock star midfielder.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this has been posted before, eh? I remember it for the barrel o’ laughs that I had when reading about Dzeko = Mick Bendtnuuur
Brilliant!
There is more vacuous statements coming from the press that we are not competitive in midfield. We are without Ozil, Walcott, Ramsey and Jack. At the same time, Flamini’s tenacity this season should put to rest the adage that we lack bite in this department. Kallstrom’s addition is another step taken by Wenger to add steel conveniently glossed over by the media. How much did Wenger pay for Flamini? A big meal has also been made about us not signing on Sagna because the club does not sign old players to extensions. How old is Rosicky in non footballing terms?… Read more »
Would anyone take jay Rodriguez for next year?
i like rodriguez a lot but worry he would be a bit too similar to giroud. i kinda fancy hernandez from united. he must want to get out of there and should be a reasonable price. he also loves to get on the end of chances in the 6 yard box which is something we badly need. if costa is out of reach i would probably go for lukaku although i doubt chelski would sell to us. he is going to be a monster in 2-3 years time.
Honestly, he is pretty much diametrically opoosed to Giroud…he’s all about his clever movement, finding the gaps and finishing clinically whereas Giroud really isn’t.
I’d like him here, probably over Hernandez, but I’m guessing if we wanted him we could have slapped 25m down in January rather than waiting for the Summer so it’s unlikely.
I like him but he’s not that quick. I want to see a 6ft powerhouse with real pace. A real bastard of a monster of a centre forward.
I like to read Wengers statements before I sleep after a game, although sometimes he can keep things close to his chest but his perspective of the game in general is usually on point.
Good performance from the lads but it doesn’t hide the fact that the only “top” team we’ve beaten all season is Liverpool at home. A team challenging for title honours does not get turned over by a tennis scoreline – something that’s happened to us at Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool. There is something seriously wrong with our mentality when playing against elite opposition. You can blame it on injuries all you want but that’s what a championship winning team does – it copes. We’ve really struggled in the second half of the season. I sincerely hope that we don’t… Read more »
Considering it’s against Championship opposition and not a top team it should be fine then, no?
Not sure why you’ve got so many thumbs down when you’re essentially right though, we obviously have the goods to get results and with a few signings in the summer to give us a bit of a boost, we’ll get it right in the big games eventually.
Absolutely 100% correct Newxieland…& 7 red thumbs!
*facepalm*
I do think there is something wrong alright but am sure it can be fixed. We know now for a fact we can compete with them. In our 3 home games we only conceded 1! Playing away to them we should have been playing counter attack but this couldn’t happen as all our pace was missing due to injuries. I think we should be ok for our final games as we get more players back.
I’m sure somebody said to me last week that I would regret going to the Arsenal vs Manchester city game. But let me tell you the way we played today was brilliant! We showed so much character getting back into the game and played some beautiful football. The fans and the atmosphere was the best I’ve seen! COYG take it to the end of the season and you never know where we could finish.
Fair result?!!! Chitty is on another level and, regardless of result, they are eons ahead of us. Even CP got a result today. All of you who can’t see the failures of Wenger must be retarded. The players are running around in complete blindness without guidance. Wenger knows nothing about tactics and if he can’t see that he’s a complete retard.
Fuck off.
City may be on another level, but we’re not useless. We proved today we can go toe to toe , we’re just missing the extra push. Yes we capitulated away to city and Chelsea but that’s just the result of very very bad gambles on style in the opening half. We’re so close, and that’s what frustrates me. Not that we’re miles off but just in need of players we let go (like RVP ) and some better medics.
What energy that guy Rosicky has, I hope Wenger keeps on feeding him whatever he has been, I suspect Polonium and diced Lions.
Arsenal got a deserved equaliser. The games commentators and analysts blame the gunners
pedestrian speed in attack. If they had sped through the the attack,who knows.Flamina’s goal illustrates what I mean.
I doubt the gunners can win the title.
Liverpool are due a draw or loss in the game against Spurs. They can’t be winning every game. If Spurs beat them,Arsenal could be back in the race marginally. At the end of the season,I think it’s time for parting of ways.
Wenger’s consistent cock ups in the finishing line is simply unacceptable.
Isn’t it Giroud cocking up the finishing over the line?
Fuck I’m drunk.
“Fuck off” oh……
Yes, Fuck Off. That’s all you get. Just Fuck Off.
I’ll “third” the FUCK OFF and raise you an all capitals shouty internety thing
We showed quality yesterday. …we are a good team that needs a little tweak here and there…COYG
All we need is Ibra or Bale or Costa …. an Arda Turan or Pedro type pacy winger and a Pogba, Kroos, etc would be nice too. I would say, go all in and nick Tony Kroos.
To the guy saying Wenger lacks any tactical knowledge. Please read this. I may be wrong but here are some tactical changes that I saw by watching the game on TV. (I live in Egypt so can’t make the Emirates). 1.Gibbs and Sagna. We usually see our two FB pushing and bombarding forward like madmen all game long thus leaving us very open on the counter attack. This game it was different. They didn’t go up too much and when they did it cost us City’s goal. Also bad by Podolski should’ve kept possesion. Gibbo deserves an England call up… Read more »
Your second point made up much of a rant I ended up in the middle of during the first half, saying we lack pace is simply lazy punditry when we have plenty of players with pace on the pitch and it’s the utilisation that’s at fault; expected better from Neville as he seems to be the best of a bad bunch but then again, he was a defender.
Why is a great club like Arsenal being held hostage by one man? Do we really have to go thru this?
Like do we really???
I am sorry but go through what?? We are not being held ransom by ANYONE. Arsene has been a great servant and completely honest contract. Up the Arse!
Fuckwit
Luck favours the brave. If aresenal is brave and fronts up to rest of the seaso like the second half performance i am certain the dice will roll in our favour in other results and maybe there are a few suprises i store before the end of the season.
If the injuries didn’t fuck us over, we will still be top of table, still in the tittle race,etc,etc…
Well, its not that bad, i mean we still can win the fa cup, i’m keeping the faith that we will end our trophy drought this season if we keep this fighting spirit!COYG!
“Wenger: We must fight for the rest of the season.” Yeah, but for what? I’m sorry, but I just can’t get excited by a fourth-place finish. At one stage this season we were leading the Premier League by four points; are we really all supposed to get excited by scraping into the final Champions’ League place? And if we do get it does that mean we’ll have to suffer three more years of Wenger’s incompetence? If so I’ll prefer us to finish fifth. When that semi-final against Wigan comes around I’ll start to get enthusiastic again: we’ll be fighting for… Read more »
‘Alan Hanson’ and ‘brilliant point’… that’s the first time I have heard those words in the same sentence. Please stop moaning and start supporting.
Yes, we’d be far better off without that extra 31m.
lmao…you prefer the f.a cup than qualifying for the champions league ?
f.a cup pays …5 million and the champions league pays close to 30m to participate in group stage and qualify in next stage .
Hmm lets see…… …5 million or 30 million ?
4th place ..more than a trophy. 🙂 The key to financial survival and repaying our stadium actually.
so take your little englader’s mentality and stick it up your fat arse.
*cartman voice* hey you guys!you can always go and enjoy teams eons ahead that were utterly shit before they had a pretty woman moment!oh and suck my balls you guys!
why couldn’t we have done this weeks back? why do we have to wait till it escapes our grip?
Statements such as this is somewhat stupid. Ofcourse you are going to keep fighting. Its not like he is going to come out and say “we give up. Lets just lay down and die. What is the point? We allways throw our season away in the end. God hates me! Fock my life! And fock feckin Jose Mourinho that little cunt! I quit and i have chosen Piers Morgan to be my replacement and i hear he will be bringing in John Terry to be his Assistant. Enjoy Suckerz! And fuck you to! Au Revoir!” However, that would be a… Read more »
COYG!