Arsene Wenger admits that Leicester will come to the Emirates on Sunday without much pressure, despite the fact they find themselves in unfamiliar territory at the top of the table.
The Arsenal manager says that his team can’t focus on where the visitors are weak, and instead must produce a match-winning performance themselves.
Asked how he might find the Foxes Achilles heel, Wenger said, “Let’s not count too much on the weakness of Leicester because they have not shown too many.
“What I believe is that you do not have to be a super mathematician to analyse that it is a very important game, maybe not a decisive one for the Premier League but it is not far away from that.
“The pressure is on us as well, of course. I don’t deny that but I take that in a very positive way and as an opportunity to show how strong we are.
“I think the biggest pressure in our job is to play games without pressure. This is the kind of game we want – the kind of game we relish. When you play at Arsenal Football Club, that’s what you want.”
The Frenchman accepts that Leicester are riding high at the moment, and the lack of expectation means a lack of pressure, but he still tried to plant a seed of doubt in their minds ahead of Sunday’s critical showdown.
“Once you are top of the league, you can also think about losing what you have,” he said.
“That is where the nerves come in a little bit. I do not know how they will respond to that.”
We’ll find out on Sunday.
We really have to be prolific and take our chances…. we just have to win
COYG!!!!
We can do this!
Yes Gunners! Pound your chests, grunt, paw the ground terrorize. Show new boys on the block Leicester City who the alpha team is! I don’t get this fearful attitude our fans are having towards this fixture. Well, I get it but it doesn’t feel right.
For me, it’s a combination of fear and anxiety that we won’t capitalize on this great chance we have to move up the table, especially with Man City and Spurs playing each other as well. We’ve been forced to watch as the team let such opportunities pass them by over the last month. Still, those emotions are mixed with hope, anticipation, and the knowledge that if we show up to this game, we can clearly show the world the difference between our teams. No doubt Vardy and Mahrez have been great, but we have the sheer class of Mesut Ozil… Read more »
Let’s go Fox-hunting.
Simultaneously bricking and relishing it! These are the moments that make supporting a team such an emotional experience…
Fox hunting boys, get all your guns out and blow away some nasty small dogs
Have to admit I am very nervous about this match because of how Leicester has beaten many top teams lately (on the road too) and also what happens if we lose being 8 points back and nearly out of the race. I feel confident we can do it, but with so much lying on this match very nerve-wracking. We need to look to sit deep and not let Vardy behind us and something we haven’t always done well with pressure the entry passes to him and others.
Pitted up against Sir Alex or Jose Mourinho, I don’t remember Arsene ever being particularly brilliant at ‘mind games’.
However he did say something similar to “Once you are top of the league, you can also think about losing what you have” in the build-up to the Olympiakos game in Athens (where we had to overcome a 3-1 deficit)… and that certainly worked!
Why no mention of Arsene’s opposition to Sunday’s planned protest and him defending the price of tickets to the Emirates?
Separate story
Thanks, Just seen it!
its really surprising how not a word was mentioned about El neny…..does it mean he is not in the team for the weekend game?
I think Elneny could be on the bench on Sunday?
so forget all wengers many years of experience.
it all hinges on this one match to gather momentum and carry on. otherwise it will be like dominoes falling crashing out of all the competitions.
no pressure lads.
We will relish it all the more if we have mustard all of our mental strength so as to ketchup on the league leaders and not marinate in the vinegar of defeat like some form of loser sauerkraut (no offense BFG). Please take these condiments in the spirit intended.
I find your lack of taste disturbing.
Soy true.
Is Wenger playing mind games here?
Hope not a misquote, “The kind of games we find hellish.”. COYG!
Feel so much happier knowing we go into this fixture with Sanchez and Coquelin back . Sanchez especially .