Wenger on Welbeck and a big victory

Arsene Wenger faced the media after Wednesday night’s Champions League victory over Galatasaray.

Read a full transcript of what he had to say:

on Danny Welbeck’s finishing…
He was on the end of good movements tonight and we had good pace in our game. Our transition play and our finishing was good, and Danny was at the end of good collective movements. Of course it’s good to see that he’s slowly gaining confidence and finishing well. It’s nice to see the potential is there and he’s starting to get there - hopefully that hat-trick will help him gain confidence.

on whether it’s encouraging to see him slotting in…
Yes. We had good pace and we had good transition from defence to attack, and on the left and right. We also had good pace through the middle and that gave them problems.

on Welbeck benefiting from an extended run as a striker…
It always helps to know that you have a good chance to play in the next game. What’s good for me is that his link play is good as well. His teamwork and his work rate is at the level of the team. His attitude is very positive - he’s a team player, not just a finisher. He has learned that on the flank and he wants to help the team.

on whether he expected to win by that margin…
You never know how difficult it is before the game but I felt we had a good start. They were surprised by our pace in the game. We lost control of the game at 4-1 when we were down to 10 men. We needed a few good saves from David Ospina and then you could see that Galatasaray had quality. As soon as we allowed them to play they became a very dangerous team. Maybe at the start of the game, and the first hour, the pace was a problem for them.

on Melo’s tackle on Alexis…
It could have been a red. I’ll have to see it again. It looked from where I was that it was a red. I took Alexis off to be a bit more solid defensively once we were down to 10 men. Unfortunately, in my life I haven’t met many players who are happy to come off.

on whether Alexis was injured…
He looks alright.

on whether it was a perfect boost ahead of Chelsea…
Let’s not talk about Chelsea tonight. What I would like to say is that David Ospina came on and played very well. When he came on we were suffering and he had a good performance and played very well.

on playing against Cesare Prandelli’s side compared to Fatih Terim’s…
I like Fatih Terim. We had good connections in our meetings. He’s doing a good job now for Turkey. It’s difficult to compare the two teams. I believe that our game in Turkey will be much more difficult because I feel there is some talent in the team. I have a lot of respect for Prandelli and he will learn about his team. If you were here when I started my career it means you’ve been a journalist for at least 18 years. That’s not bad as well.

on whether Jack Wilshere will be able to play 90 minutes against Chelsea…
Yes.

on what he’s learned about Welbeck that he didn’t know before…
That he’s a good finisher. I believe that, technically, he’s very sound. That was a surprise that he’s technically clean and that he’s a good passer of the ball. I didn’t know he was so quick. Honestly, I knew he was quick but he can be electric when he starts - he has great pace.

on Szczesny’s concentration levels…
We lost the ball, an unnecessary mistake in our own half, and after that it was a through ball. I saw him coming out and I thought he may have read the situation well. He tried to come out and was fraction late so he conceded the penalty. It can happen. I think the fact is that we’re more guilty of losing the ball in our own half - it can be dangerous and we didn’t defend too well on that front.