Read some extra quotes from Arsène Wenger's pre-match press conference. For more headlines, visit our Digest page.
on how quickly the three South Americans have settled…
The South Americans are ready to come into English football now and they adapt very well. Sometimes they have gone through another country, like Gabriel has played at Villarreal and that certainly quickens the adaptation in England. They already know what is expected from them.
on his relationship with Mourinho…
I don’t know and I don’t want to talk about that because what is important is when the game starts at four o’clock, to have a great game. That’s what English football needs, to know that Arsenal against Chelsea is a big game and is not about the relationship between the managers.
on Fabregas’ return…
The regret I have is that he wanted to leave here. This club and myself had a very positive influence on Cesc’s life. I want every player to be respected, and [I want] Cesc Fabregas when he comes to the Emirates on Sunday to be respected like he deserves.
on the prospect of Vieira in management…
I believe like many other players he has the intelligence and the competence to do this job but I believe that Pellegrini is of super-competence and super-quality as well so if you want me to interfere in that, I am not ready to do it.
on bridging the gap to the top...
Yes of course. You take the example of Man City and that shows how fragile the position is. Nothing is forever in our game. Our game is so popular because it is not always predictable. That is why even if you finish first this season you can be three or four places behind next season.
on whether the squad feels 10 points worse than Chelsea...
Look, you have to face reality. We live in a real world and the real world is dictated by points. But sometimes you have to take a perspective as well. When you are fighting for the championship - and I know that well - when you are on a good run, sometimes you take points that in another season if you were two or three places behind, you would not take. The focus and belief is there and is a bit stronger that we can take these points. The difference between the teams is not only measured by the difference in points. But nobody has given Chelsea the points. They had to fight for it and they made it.
Copyright 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
