Arsene Wenger accepts his side could have played better against Sunderland but stressed that victory was more important than performance after a tiring week.
Alexis Sanchez took advantage of comedy defending from Sunderland to score in each half as the Gunners grabbed their second away win in the league and pushed up the table to fifth place.
Speaking after the game to the BBC, Wenger said: “You could feel that we had a lot of the ball and Sunderland were focused on defending very well. They came out with more purpose in the second half but on the break we had many chances.
“We played away on Wednesday and again today so what was most important was the points. In life you can always improve but what was important for us today was to get the three points and keep a clean sheet.
“Sanchez took advantage of the mistakes they made but he’s also got a super quality – he’s quickly on your feet which is why he wins many balls that normal players don’t. He’s very quick in transition from offence to defence and wins the ball back very quickly. We can take advantage of that.”
Unsurprisingly, injuries again cast a shadow over the victory with both Kieran Gibbs and Mikel Arteta forced off in the latter stages. Giving an update on the problems, the boss report:
“I think Kieran Gibbs has a hip problem. He wanted to go on but he couldn’t. Mikel Arteta got a kick on his thigh but I don’t think it’s bad.”
ALEXIS Is a Fucking BEast
Beasts are terrified of Alexis the Sanchez
Beasts have a fairy tale for young beasts called Beastess and the Alexis
It’s good to win. Can someone please explain our formation today? I didn’t get it.
Normally we set up 4-1-4-1 or 4-2-3-1. Today we had it different. Its 4-here and there about-midfield?what midfield-Alexi Sanchez-1.
I think it was the usual “Inspector Closeau” formation thing that Wenger does.
At least I saw some defensive shape in what was altogether a dreadful performance.
Clean sheet at last!
Up The Arsenal!
4-4-2
#OneAlexisSanchez
We are literally down to no cover on defence at all with Gibbs out. Hayden will have to come in at CB
Couldn’t create much all day, thank god for Alexis! This team really needs to start gelling soon. Can’t wait to see THEO back in the line up!
I think Hayden is injured. No, I’m not kidding.
No, he’s not yet started playing regularly for the first team, so not yet … 😉
He hasn’t been playing in the reserves, so It does look like he’s injured…
One of the most satisfying parts of Alexis’ second goal was that he barely celebrated, out of respect for the fact that Mannone basically gifted him the goal. A lot of other strikers would go rubbing it in the keepers face doing knee slides and cart wheels. Alexis, I love you.
No problem, we’ll just move Joel Campbell to fullback and Podolski to central defense.
They get more games in, and we have more bodies for defense, it’s win-win!
Again I say, it’s very difficult and painful watching Arsenal games these days….!
Yes, I have more recently even started counting how many players our opponents have on the field as I can swear they’re playing with more than us.
Bellerin has some lovely hair…
On another note, I fucking love Alexis. Best player by far in the team and, dare I say it, in the league at the moment.
So now players decide if they should continue to play with an injury? Not the physios or the manager?
What? Who said that?
I agree with you this team doesn’t show urgency except Alexes very soon his going to regret coming to Arsenal.
Oh fuck off and support Spurs if you dont already
Yaawwwwnnn
To be honest, I don’t know why everyone is panicking about our bad performance, I’d take bad performances with wins during this interval of lower level teams to build confidence than playing shite agaisnt city or Chelsea, which people forget we actual made a decent showing of ourselves given that we should have a hospital wing devoted to solely arsenal players. So basically, everyone chill, lets build some momentum to be able to do some proper damage to the big boys
true! there is too much negativity surrounding every game. I think we’ve been playing well this season. People seemed to have forgotten our FA cup and community shield triumphs. Judging by what i saw on so many blogs and Twitter, I think I was the only happy Gooner in the world after our dramatic turnaround in Brussels the other night, and today too. What’s pissing off is that these are the same people who are quick to say “what’s the use of pretty football when we can’t grind out results?” after we’ve played well and lost. A win, no matter… Read more »
people are tired of watching and hearing the same bullshit every year. we are not equipped to win the epl or ucl this season, all down to managers incompetence, after witnessing the FA cup triumph of last season most gunners like me are hungry for more. Starting the season with a handful of wins and struggling to outplay lesser opponent plus the underlying fact that we still can’t match big teams is simply not acceptable. Wenger has been given time and now money and we still see and complain about the same bullshit. Its unacceptable, they have to produce better.… Read more »
“..that normal players don’t” 🙂
Happy birthweek Boss, we got the six points
My God! What has happened to our Arsenal? The once beautiful football has gone lost. What has happened to the confidence of these boys! I shuddered watching Ramsey today in an Arsenal counter attack fumbling with the ball in front of the goalkeeper. Yes, we won but it’s so frustrating watching this Arsenal team.
So Chambers to partner Per in central defense. Bellerin and Nacho @ fullback.
Over 60 days to go until January 1st….Trying to remain optimistic, but this is an utter joke.
Getting knocked out of the Capital One Cup was a blessing in disguise. We would be facing an away tie at Stoke this coming Wednesday. Good to have a weeks rest and raring to go against Burnley next Saturday and another 3 points..!!
Those shitcunt Stoke fans would’ve probably been cheering for Shawcross to break another leg.
It would be better to still be in it but use it as youth ‘experience’ training, like we did years back.
Alexis is just too much class. Hard to find a player who is head and shoulders above the rest yet still be as hardworking and un-afraid of the dirty work like this red hot chilli.
i also love his hair and goal celebration the one where he punches the air?? though the removing his shirt to expose perfectly chiseled abs works too!!
he doesn’t just play football because he’s paid to do it he plays because of the passion and determination to succeed in it just like you would with your profession. A true profession Alexis!!!!!
God help us if Alexis get’s injured …
Alexis is bloody brilliant . Am now astonished barca parted ways with him and cesc .
Just unreal.
Neymar messi and suarez though , not much could keep them out !!
Let’s take the positives. 2 away games 2 wins when we didn’t play well. Would you prefer we were Leeds?
No but I would prefer we were closer to Chelsea, why benchmark against piss poor teams? That said I agree we can do with grinding out points now, and hopefully slowly building up form. But we are 1 injury away in defense before being absolutely fucked and I just absolutely can’t be positive about that.
I would prefer that our manager pay attention to details, like corner kicks to give only one example.
Good win….but now I’m confused…..who do we want to win tomorrow? Ha….
0-0 draw anytime rivals play plus lots of injuries
I’d like to contrive a way for both of them to lose.
Stadium collapse/terrorist attack/natural disaster every time for me… yet to happen though. Shame.
I’m for MaunU over Chelsea. Just want to get as close to the top as possible till January. As long as we remain in the top pack within 5 points of top I still feel we can have a strong finish in the second half of the season. BTW I just can’t figure out why AW doesn’t want to give Poldi a chance on the pitch. I thought today would have been perfect. Sunderland was going to concentrate on defense so Poldi wouldn’t have been such a defensive liability. And the man just has a knack for scoring.
I wonder if you were around for what happened in Hillsborough back in ’89. I was only 4, so I obviously don’t recall it. But everything I have read and seen would make me never wish a tragedy to occur on a club or their fan-base, no matter how much I detested them.
Is it Alexis missing to Barcelona during the classico today ? Despite my unhappiness with Wenger this year, have to take the hat off for him for recruiting Alexis. Too bad he did not get a DM and a center half to replace Vermaleen. Let’s give him A+ for Alexis, B+ for Chambers and D for missed recrutments injuries and tactics. Overall Mr Wenger ”peut mieux faire”.
*peux fait mieux
:p
** Mr. Wenger peut faire mieux
yaaa okay you win
‘Alexis is a given name derived from the Greek word ἀλέξω or aléxo, meaning “to help, defend.”
His parents anticipated his work rate.
And Sanchez is derived from Latin Sanctus – saint.
Arsenal have some of the worst fans……turncoats.
ho yeaaa lets all been happy with only 4 def left in our squad, playing shit once again and get save only because a crap sunderland team (who got own 8-0 by team who soldhalf his first 11 last summer) let us score only thanks to 2 idiotic mistake
I’m probably the only one that still cares, but what happened to Wenger’s plans to invert Alexis into a CF? I still think he could be our own Aguero..maybe even better.
MC plays with two strikers allowing Aguero space because the cb’s have to account for another striker. Our system doesn’t allow that and we can’t execute that style effectively because Fernandinho AND Toure (and even Fernando) to clean up mistakes. However, within our system Sanchez does a whole lot more than Aguero (really a lot more than anyone should if the team was clicking). Sidenote: on Squawka, Monreal is in the team of the week. Props to him and his three impressive over the back headers today as well as the rest of the squad for defending well (although it… Read more »
He already is buddy.. !!
Am I wrong, or did Alexis basically play as a 10 today. I hope Wenger keeps him there (even when Ozil comes back) because that’s his natural position, roaming across the whole front line. Maybe Alexis and Ozil can’t play together!
So what exactly do you think happened against Galatasaray?
Sell Ozil, Podolski, flamini and Campbell.
Go and buy Draxler, Schniderlin, Song and Nastasic.
Add some balance to our squad and try to save your job Mr Wenger, do what you should have done in the summer, which is the bleeding obvious.
Your really going to have to do something special for me to forgive you for allowing Cesc to go to Chelsea.
I’m still seething
Song? Are you kidding?
Alexandre fucking Song? Funny stuff
Are you 9? Who the fuck are you to have such high feeling of entitlement?
You’re seething about AW not wanting to re-hire a player that went on strike to get a move away from us? Grow up.
2 players that went on strike with us, if you include Song!
Drastic – I didnt know Song went on strike?
I think 3 in, 2 out in January. It’s about getng some bettter balance in the squad. How many No “10s” do we need?
In – Either Lars or Sven Bender, Curtis Davies & Brede Hangeland. Cannot see us getting Nastastic.
Out – Flamini & one of Podolski/Campbell/Cazorla
What do other peope think?
I thought monreal played very well today and he also played well when moved out to left back. Can’t be easy to change back to your original position after getting in the ‘centre half’ frame of mind for the game. Flamini was also busy and up for the fight. Monreal flamini and of course Sanchez were our star performers today. Can I just also say that although Santi is not playing well, it is worth noting that however bad he plays he never hides. He will defo come good again.
“but I don’t think it’s bad.”
Famous last words…
Nice win today. I’m excited to potentially see Bellerin play more. I’m devastated for Gibbo that he may have an injury again though. Rough with the smooth…
Özil, Giroud, Arteta, Ramsey & Koscielny have all been out recently. All key players for us last season. If they were out then and we beat Sunderland 2-0, I’d be more than happy with that!
I still strongly believe that we will get to really blend with each other,by the way we hav good players like Alexis,walcott,carzola,ozil,welbeck.comon,these guys are good they just need a little boosting and physicality cause that’s what football is turning out to be.no more sexy football like ozil does.we need powerfull shorts like that one poldi gave to nuer in that CL game.lol. Stand up guys.I love arsenal with all my heart and wish to play there someday.
A spell-checker on here!! What the fook? 🙂
A few odd months ago, it was hard to find a player who didn’t fancy playing upfront (Walcott, gervais kouassi yao, poldi). Now it’s even harder to get one who doesn’t want to play in the fabled ‘number 10’ role.
I know I was not the only one who saw the BFG holding his groin towards the end of the match. Let’s pray he just had to pee.
Well no doubt gibbs injury is a small muscular should only miss a few games Hmmmm January if that’s the case! We needed cover every AFC supporter knew it but as sods law we are short at the back FFS
While everyone is entitled to their opinion (even me) and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Arsenal could be doing better, and it is not unrealistic to say our squad is weaker than it should be. I think over-reaction will soon stop being a word because when there is nothing but over-reaction then it is the normal. And while no one, least of all me is saying that we are going to win the title, I would say something to all those people that say ‘drawing 2-2 at Hull isn’t good enough’ or ‘winning 2-0 at Sunderland’… Read more »
So we couldn’t have bought a proper CDM and CB from june to september 1st and properly challenge for the title, rather we wait till next year because someone did not become available. We should buy the player we need not the ones available, we have lots of players that were available yet we still lack what we need, the teams that are challenging for the title Chelsea and Mancity sis not buy available players rather they bought players which they needed. All I get from what u have said is wenger has once again ruined what was supposed to… Read more »
Alexis, the hero from humble Chile in Arsenal making its fans happy. I am.
In the press conference wenger said he was satisfied with the performance???? If not fr the two errors made we never came close to scoring. This type of analysis and mentality is the reason we will never beat any big team and will never win EPL under wenger .
With Wenger always trying to groom players to a different position, I’m surprised that he hasn’t whipped his Coq out as an extra defender. I mean he has played Bendtner on the wing, why not a DM at the back? Yes I know Coq is no Gilberto, or even Song, but stranger things have happened.
Still, the person I feel sorry for the most, is Corporal Jenkinson. He’d be getting a good run in the team at the moment…