Arsene Wenger has called on Arsenal supporters to give his players their full backing as they look to rescue their season with a title charge in the final eight games.
Speaking to BT Sport after the Gunners’ 2-0 win over Everton, the boss reflected on a good day at the office, the performance of Alex Iwobi and attempted to rally the troops by insisting the Premier League can still be won.
On getting back to winning ways…
It was a continuity of the performance in Barcelona. Today we scored the goals on top of that. I believe our performance was top, top class. First half, with and without the ball. Second half, our legs went a little bit. I knew at half time we needed to be in front because all the players had physically put in a 100 per cent performance in Barcelona. The second half was a bit more difficult, but overall mentally the team responded.
Alex Iwobi’s impressive performance…
He gains experience and confidence, there’s still a lot of work [ahead] for him. I like his attitude and I like his quality.
On Iwobi developing a partnership with Danny Welbeck…
He [Iwobi] is creative in the final third. Danny Welbeck had a good first half as well and they looked always dangerous.
On the title race…
We’re still in it…in our mind, yes. Mathematically, yes. And we want everybody behind the team to give us a chance. We are ready for a battle, for a fight. Let’s just continue to produce the quality of the performance we produced today.
On title race twists and turns…
You know how difficult the Premier League is, you know how tricky every game is so let’s just bet on our consistency and hope that we have some luck with some results.
On belief returning to his team…
I must say, honestly, that I was very disappointed that the team did not get the support, mentally. This team is absolutely outstanding. I managed many groups and this group is top class. I want them to be rewarded. We’ve been through a difficult spell but, as well, I must say that we had a very difficult schedule and we were not helped.
On injuries to Ozil and Ospina…
Ozil is an ankle problem. Ospina had a kick in the back. In a few days they should be alright.
Typical Wenger loyal to his players till the end you just have to respect that
We are still in the title race, if we can win all the remaining games, and wishing lestah and sprs loose games
Typical Mr Wenger, always running his mouth. The fans only want consistency to the remaining games. I do not think we will ever get that.
Let’s try to beat Sp*rs as a minimum.
Leicester will probably win it but let’s give it our best shot.
Leicester still have to go to Chelski and Manure and spuds still to play Liverpool Manure and Chelski. We are still in it despite our best efforts not to.
The problem is United and Chelsea are sh*t. I’d bet on West Ham and Southampton taking points from Leicester. Why haven’t we posted how to beat Leicester on the Internet?
Absolutely masters of our own downfall but why is it that everyone else except us are so shit against Leicester
I think the whole football community wants Leicester to win ( apart from the other 3 teams in the chase ) .. we’ve had our chances and blew them … a good result and performance against a shit poor Everton team doesn’t come close to addressing our problems . its the same old story .. we kick off in good style .. then the transfer windows farce .. then the inevitable collapse , before a mini recovery ,, then a mini collapse . and a respectable 4th or 3rd finish ! and everything in the garden is rosy …. maybe… Read more »
No reason not to believe we are not in the title race just yet.
It’s stacked against us with foxes 8 points clear and having to shed 8 points in 8 matcges.
Plus we have to at minimum this season finish ahead of spurs.
The aim is simple jow. We need to win ALL our last 8 and score as many goals as poss as it may just come down to that.
I’m as happy when we score as I’m sad when Leicester scores. Come on Palace.
For once the crowd booed the team at half time and full time, and it was not for Arsenal!
For once a 19 year old kid scored a goal, and it was for Arsenal!
Whatever. This team threw the title away over the course of January, February, March. Talk of the title now is ridiculous.
The thumbs down shows that these fans are as deluded as the manager.
Or they show that everyone just thinks you two are dickheads.
Think what you like about me, it’s true. For me, the thumbs down just indicate that people don’t like hearing the truth, which is (as I stated originally) we played like shit for almost three months, which is why we’re not going to win the title. There are only 8/9 matches to play. If you think we’re going to win every single one of those remaining games while at the same time Leicester drop 8 points, you haven’t been around this game very long.
No amount of childish insults will change what happened the last three months, I’m afraid.
While I agree that we have played badly and that the title is probably beyond reach, I don’t think talk of it is ridiculous. What would you rather have the coach say? We’ve given up? We just want to carry 4th? Come on! The truth hurts, but I think most people will agree with your initial assessment that the team played badly, not the ridiculousness of attempting an 11th hour resurgence.
count,
I get why the manager has to say this publicly, but being realistic, talk of the title is indeed ridiculous. So I’m not calling Wenger ridiculous (because he has to say this), I’m saying that our talk of the title, or our belief that Wenger is right about us being in the mix, is ridiculous.
(And let’s not forget it’s actually 11 points they have on us. I was assuming we’d win our game in hand, but of course that’s a big assumption. I’d love for you or someone else to let me know the last time a teach caught leaders 11 pts clear with only 8 games to play. Not saying it’s never happened, but I imagine it is extremely, extremely rare.)
You’re really taking this thumbs up and down thing wayyy too seriously..
Oh and I hope for the sake of the Arsenal that you gladly eat humble pie when we lift the trophy at the end of the season!
Yeah, I’m totally freaking out about the thumbs down. Look, I’ve been commenting on Arseblog News since the day it started. I know how it works. Catch the right mood, and it’s all thumbs up. My comment on a day after a loss would be met with thumbs up galore (have you read the kinds of comments left after the Watford loss, for example?). In other words, I’m not fussed either way about the green and the red, the proof of which is my original comment. If I wanted to pander to the fashion of the day, I’d act like… Read more »
You are are deluded prick. Your man is well past his sell by date. Get over it, there’s no more excuses and no point in clowns like you running your mouths after the shit that we’ve seen all season.
To be fair to Arsene and the players, we aren’t the one who keep losing to leieceter.
But then, Leicester aren’t the ones who keep losing to everyone else.
You have to give Wenger credit. He gave Cambell, Coquelin and Bellerin a chance when many said they would not be good enough. Now he is giving it to Iwobi and Welbeck. Developing players is a difficult process and we need to get the balance right between that and bringing in ready made. We cannot ccompete with the likes of Chelsea or City or even United buying ready made for most positions nor has that proven to be effective . Spurs have had their fair share of local development, Leicester has bargain bought well, neither team has spent much comparatively… Read more »
It’s hard to give Wenger credit when you don’t know how Arsenal will perform on a week by week basis. We had definitely been “found out” over the last couple of months but Wenger wasn’t able to change the tactics or our mentality. All season we’ve performed well below the sum of our parts, barring the odd fantastic performance that we then don’t build on it.
Tbh I don’t think we need any more players to win the league, but we possibly need a better manager. Hoping Wenger proves me wrong!
It’s hard to give him credit for Coq and Campbell when they only played because of injury to other players. And I hope he gives Welbeck a chance after paying 16M for him.
I don’t think there is anyone who does not hope we could catch Leicester, just a few delusional ones who think we actually will. I think they will wrap it up with games to spare, because, unlike Arsenal, they seem to play better under pressure.
Brilliant win today. Leicester City have got to loose two and draw one for us to get back there. And Leicester have got a run of difficult games to come up their way, while we just have got to play Man City which I am for sure Pellegrini would love to loose on purpose with the way things seem to be going on over there. I am optimistic that , we still have our chance. All we have got to do is, WIN EVERY FUCKING GAME ON FROM HERE. It is still not all beyond us. Let us get behind… Read more »
Me: No we’re not.
Im a Wenger supporter…….I just am.
What really hurt was the Utd match, and it was because we didnt turn up, and it happens too much (Swansea came next). It was horrible. Arsenal fans were hurt a lot recently.
If Arsene doesnt get it that we are passionate and therefore hurt at these times, then I think he could work on his empathy “a little bit”.
Faboulous today though.
“a little bit with the empathy handbrake”
Dream on
Lets just win all our remaining games and see where we are. 4th spot is absolute minimum and finishing above Sp?rs of course!
COYG!
oh just be quiet. The season’s over, no matter the result today.
Ex Priest turns clairvoyant? 😉
Just a cautionary tale Several seasons ago Martinez was touted by many as a gaffer to replace Arsene Everton have been up and down in prospect since. In fact they enjoy less stability and higher placing than they did with Moyes. Change does not necessarily mean improvement Kopp is not getting Liverpool any closer up the table either. Change Wenger but it does not follow we will automatically achieve better next season. Are we prepared to risk a season in transition which could easily also lead to two? Not saying Wenger is achieving enough to match the potential he has… Read more »
I stopped reading after the Klopp thing. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about.
Are you serious? Like him or not, Wenger has to leave some time and that time will be sooner rather than later because he is almost on his 70s. It is time for us to bring in a young hungry manager who can get the best out of these players. Tuchel looks very interesting. Personally I prefer Loew.
Oh Santori. Remember a movie called Groundhog day, well it’s like that movie with Arsenal. Change is needed , now this very minute. No one is saying , we change managers and win the champions league.Many people are just simply tired of us scraping for 4th place. We have reached a plateau. Ah , no Wenger has hit it. Arsenal fans are tired of seeing things play out exactly the same way for the last decade.in fact I would say , people are tired to see Wenger as our manager. Sad but its the truth.
Change is might not bring immediate success, in fact we have no idea what could happen should we change manager, what we do know is that under Arsene we will stay right where we are; Champions League status, the occasional FA cup and the Occasional title challenge. I think most people want more than that
Haha haha!!!!! That made me laugh we are still in the title race is he living in a different world to everyone else or just blind
So, you think its better for him to say we are out of the race when mathematically we aint?
To be fair that might take the pressure off the team. Remember the last time we were on a shitfest of a run and admitted we were no longer in it and then went ahead and scored 6 goals against someone
I wish Wenger and the players would just shut up about the title – I know the Muppet press ask the stupid questions but Danny welbeck deals with it best saying we need to concentrate on our own performances and see what happens!!!
Great win today but too much negativity. what the fuck do you want Wenger to say? “We don’t have a chance, might as well not even turn up.”
If you can’t even dream a little after a game like this, then why bother even watching?
Yes we won today they haven’t turn up to the 2nd half of the season 1 game isn’t going to make a difference and dream every Arsenal fan dreams every season but yet a again they fail to stay top same will happen again next season until we buy top class players and get rid of some of our players who don’t take their chances in front of goal I love Arsenal and hope they prove me wrong COYG
for once, arsenal in their majestic gold away kits passed everton off the fucking park (was that a pun?). Goodison park is not the happiest hunting ground for any team
Elneny, Ospina, Iwobi, Gibbs and Chambers have all done well when called upon. So too Flamini given how much hes had to give this season, and has Campbell. Its no wonder he talks about the merits of the squad. Just hope our top performers can find their groove again and we can push to beat spurs. Double back heel Iwobi and Welbeck was jazz football. Was great to see that improvisation after many weeks looking so stale and predictable. When all is said and done, it was a great call from the manager. And special goal for Iwobi, who had… Read more »
We’re only in the title race mathematically but realistically we’ve completely bottled it yet again. Now that the pressure is off we should start seeing some good football. I fear for us next season though. Things could get real ugly.
I totally agree with you something needs to happen quickly we need some amazing signings or something because I’m dreading next season
Well, I am not scared because i am sure things won’t change much and we will still be in the thick of things as we always have been. ………Come next season, i bet – Pep is not going to come, wave a magic wand and dominate the pl…it simply won’t happen – The top teams will remain the top teams, positons might change – Leiceste will enjoy their magical season but filter down to their natural level next season, (given their current form, i’ll say probabaly mid-table?)…why? because the rigours of playing in 4 competions will kick in and they… Read more »
We may still be in it mathematically but it is out of our hands. I am not counting on anything really. What is important is for the fans to continue agitating for change. This will make the board to wake up. They have taken fans for granted for far too long.
I really want us to win this league. It just beats my imagination that Wenger has decided to place his faith on a striker that can go 13 games without scoring. We have scored less goals than any other season in recent memory, that is where our real problem lies. I really hope we can just nick it
Not going to happen this season I’m afraid. Maybe next year? ;^ )
Good to get back to winning ways after such a long period of heartaches.
Onward and Upward.
We are in the race to 2nd place imo. Lets win that race COYG!
What is amazing to me is that nobody seems to have noticed the injury crisis in the midfield Arsenal has toiled since Carzorla’s injury. Arsenal only has three fit midfielders!!! I thought at the time that the title race was realistically over (what with WIlshere, Rosicki etc… being unavailable for a good part of the season). It was an amazing over-performance that Arsenal led the League for so long. Nobody gave them credit in the media. Now that they’ve had a completely predictable run of bad form (with over-played players and fresh returns from injury not playing up to their… Read more »
Well if he said we’re out of the title race then everyone would say he’s defeatist. Truth is you can’t please everyone. It’s probably for the better for Wenger to play mind games sometimes, say that we’re out of it so we play like we have nothing to lose, which is better than playing with pressure. Most people thought this was to be our year. In my opinion, frailties in the back and a misfiring forward line hurt us. The injury to Carzola was a blow but Ramsey and Coq held their own for a while until we seemed to… Read more »
Thinking of winning the title is like chasing a GRAY GHOST…..
Arsenal wins leceister wins… Ohhhh
Im hoping with the emergence of Iwobi and Campbell, Theo either steps his game up or gets sold in the summer.
Can’t stand this good old Leicester nonsense. Come on you gunners! .
Yes fuck off Leicester we are coming for you 🙂
They say it’s the hope that will kill us and I completely agree. For my own sanity I take these matches one at a time and only for entertainment when we occasionally win and I laugh at the comedy of errors that generally occur when we lose. I mean when was the last time Arsenal were blow away by an opponent? Generally we just self destruct in the most comedic ways or our tactics or lack thereof are easily deciphered and exposed. For those who expect or hope that we will pull off a title challenge by winning 8 games… Read more »
For those fans who do not support the team til the end…To you I say “just f#<€ off!!"
We will support the team thru thick & thin and hope,togehter with the players & manager that we can do as well as can come end of the season, even if it means not winning the league.
Most important….support the team!!
Arsenal under Wenger have never finished outside the top 4. When you look at that statistic & really think about it, it is bloody amazing.
Arsene Wenger has never won the Champions League after TWENTY tries.That is even more amazing.He hasn’t won a league title in TWELVE seasons and some fans still worship him.That is truly astounding.
Nordin is right – win, lose or draw – up the Arsenal!
Iwobi….he reminds me of rocky Rocastle !!!
West ham…Southampton..Everton at least they want to get to Europa…others champion league so we still got chance….
Leicester still have to play Southamptom , Chelsea , Man U , West ham & Everton so not unrealistic to think they will drop points however we probably will too .
I understand Wenger has to say this but I doubt that the majority of the team even believe the title is winnable anymore. Our terrible form in January and February put paid to any chance we had. Wenger has another year on his contract, let’s see whether he can change his spots. At this point his legacy is in his own hands: next season begins with the summer transfer window Arsene!