Arsene Wenger said that Arsenal had enjoyed a “perfect week” after it won 2-0 at Aston Villa Sunday to supplant Manchester City at the Premier League summit.
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The France international’s penalty and Aaron Ramsey’s breakaway goal gave the Gunners a comfortable 2-0 win at rock bottom Aston Villa on Sunday. We have had hard games, difficult half-times, but I see good reactions, which is why I think we can win the next game. Had they lost against Villa, it would have been put down to fatigue, and the fact that getting up for a much less meaningful game only days after a huge Champions League victory just isn’t easy.
Wenger has spoken of his advice for Garde to take the Villa job, but with a mere 6 points from 16 Premier League games, if he didn’t already know, the Villa manager now grasps the enormity of the task to keep the Midlands’ side in the top flight.
Giroud, who became the seventh Arsenal player to score 50 Barclays Premier League goals yesterday, produced another fine performance to end a rather remarkable week for the forward.
Arsenal started with the same side which featured in their midweek Champions League 3-0 in over Olympiakos, and even the substitutes bench remained the same, with Joel Campbell keeping his starting place ahead of the now fully fit Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
“I believe Olivier is at the top of his game”, Wenger said.
I get the feeling that Wenger and the players will believe they can achieve anything after last week.
Giroud was certainly an outlet here, regularly launching himself into the air in order to win as many long balls as possible, and while he occasionally came off second best in his battles with Joleon Lescott, his presence was an undoubted nuisance for the Villa defender. He may not have electric pace and he likes to play with his back to goal, so maybe he isn’t a spectacular individual. “I’m sure the manager and players individually and collectively will address that”. “He is also mentally very strong, too”. And while Giroud’s display here was not as emphatic as the one he delivered in Athens, there was still a rising to the occasion, an all-round contribution punctuated by Giroud’s 50th Premier League goal for Arsenal since he joined them three years ago.
“I think the closest to have the chance is Sanchez but medically we think he won’t be ready – but Sanchez being Sanchez you never know”, he added.
Garde is yet to win in his five games as Villa boss with the side without a league victory since the opening day of the season and eight points from safety. “They are all in the same situation as I am, and we try to find the best solution”.
‘Mostly its been collective, but he does pull players and I’ve been in there and he’s talked about my positives and what he wants me to do.
But the last few weeks have started to see Arsenal look less and less like Arsenal and more like a team who can be genuine title contenders this season.
“I know there is a big expectation for strikers when we play at Villa Park”.
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And for years it was the accusation that we had a soft centre because we did not play like Stoke.
