Wenger had always thought that if he returned to French football it would be to PSG, but on all three occasions he made a decision to stay at Arsenal. It was a frustrating and underwhelming debut but it is certainly not fair to criticise him so harshly this early in his time in North London.
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Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes Ibrahimovic represents a significant loss to the French side.
Wenger said: “I haven’t seen (the penalty) again, but they tell me in the dressing room it was a penalty – a 100 per cent penalty”.
Asked why he turned down the approaches, Wenger said: “Because I love where I am and I know the owners well but I feel always I’ll remain loyal to Arsenal Football Club because I think it is a club which has the qualities I love and that’s why”. “And that is why”.
The Gunners goalkeeper scored an unfortunate own goal to put Saints ahead in their Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium before Arsenal captain and birthday boy Laurent Koscielny levelled with an acrobatic overhead kick.
“The Champions League is coming and it starts with a tough match”. Like Koscielny, the Welshman trained with the Arsenal first-team in London on Monday morning and could also be edging closer to a comeback. “Playing well is better than talking, and making the results which we want to show tomorrow”. They’re a team who are, in France, the team above everyone else. Sanchez played well. We found him between the lines. [Shkodran] Mustafi has only played one half since the start of the season with Valencia, so they are missing games. “There is no symbolism to it, no symbolic meaning to this match”.
Arsenal had won at Watford before the global break, having taken only one point from their first two games of the season. They’re always in the Champions League.
That souns like the ideal way of thinking to me, but will it be shared by his Arsenal team mates?
Having signed the likes of Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi during the summer transfer window, Wenger is adamant that his squad boasts the attributes necessary to progress further in the competition. “Certainly, I haven’t had a squad of players [similar to this] for a long time, who have enough experience to compete”. Now I have a team with more experienced players. Wenger said he is all-too aware that a good start is therefore required.
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Jose Fonte dragged down Olivier Giroud with a tug on the striker’s shirt, referee Robert Madley pointed to the spot, and Cazorla converted.
