The team previously had ties against Stoke City and Liverpool. “I feared that we could start with the handbrake on because of the pressure we are under”, Wenger said.
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File photo of Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. “But we showed strong mental resources”.
Arsenal and Man City were settling for the point as the game came to an end.
Chances were in short supply after the German’s 53rd-minute header, though, the result leaving City 11 points back from league leaders Chelsea, while Arsenal are seven points outside the Champions League qualification places.
Clichy also said that protests aimed at Wenger’s removal are part and parcel of the game, even if he does not agree with them. One supporters’ trust published a survey earlier in the week that showed a clear majority of fans want the manager to leave in May rather than sign a new contract, but it yielded only a few hundred responses.
But Wenger praised the supporters inside the stadium for throwing themselves behind the team. Jose Mourinho does not get in, as his fifth game in charge of Chelsea was a goalless draw at Aston Villa. “I think they were absolutely sensational and helped the team today get through those hard moments”.
“Jesus always deserves the best because he is an excellent guy and I was so happy with him”.
City led Arsenal through Sane’s opener and then Sergio Aguero’s sharp finish but the hosts twice fought back and rescued a point through Theo Walcott and Shkodran Mustafi.
Arsenal lost French defender Laurent Koscielny to an Achilles tendon injury at the interval.
“The first thing for us was to stop [losing], the second is to build up our confidence again and the third step will be to win on Wednesday night [against West Ham]”.
Victory would have been a welcome tonic for Wenger, who has come in for heavy criticism from Arsenal’s fans, but after four defeats in five Premier League games, the point was welcome.
Aguero missed two good chances for City and manager Pep Guardiola was furious that a late handball appeal against Nacho Monreal was ignored.
“The second half was much better, especially when Yaya (Toure) went in (off the bench for Raheem Sterling), because he has this huge personality to play”.
Arsene Wenger is being coy on his Arsenal future but said he still had affection for the club, despite more disgruntled fans calling for his head after a 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
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“Yaya in there is a master. We suffered a lot in the first half because we didn’t make those passes together”.
