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Wenger: 'The spirit in the team is absolutely fantastic'
Arsenal 2-1 Inter Milan
Emirates Cup
Emirates Stadium
Sun, Jul 29, 2007, 4.15pm
On the performance and Robin van Persie’s goal...
"It was a great goal but I’m pleased we had a great team performance. As a team I think we played very well and that is most important. We know Robin can score special goals — and he’s scored a special goal — but overall we created many chances and what I like is that we developed good team play. We played the game like we want to play it and we were capable at 1-0 down to come back and win the game, which is important when you’re going in to such a difficult championship like in England. In the two games we played at a good pace and in a physical championship like in England it’s important to be ready."
On how much Arsenal missed Van Persie last season...
"We missed him [Robin] and Thierry together. We missed them on the scoresheet. Robin played 17 games and Thierry 16. Together that’s 33 games. Robin scored 11 goals in 17 and Thierry 10 in 16. You could [normally] multiply that by two."
On his striking options...
"Don’t forget in this tournament we had not Adebayor, not Eduardo — who has a good goalscoring record — and we had not Walcott, who can score goals as well. We had not Rosicky either. He’s not maybe a goalscorer but he can provide chances."
On what he’s learned from the Emirates Cup...
"What I have learned is that the team loves to play together, the spirit in the team is absolutely fantastic and that this victory, although we do not categorise it as a trophy, builds up the belief of the team because we did not have the greatest season last year maybe confidence wise."
On whether Inter Milan’s goal exposed a defensive weakness...
"We have to work on that. In the air we have to be more efficient because in England that’s an important way to stop goals. For me Senderos played very, very well yesterday and he is good in the air. We have Djourou, who is injured at the moment, as well. So I feel we don’t want to buy a centre back."
Arsenal 2-1 Inter Milan
Emirates Cup
Emirates Stadium
Sun, Jul 29, 2007, 4.15pm
On the performance and Robin van Persie’s goal...
"It was a great goal but I’m pleased we had a great team performance. As a team I think we played very well and that is most important. We know Robin can score special goals — and he’s scored a special goal — but overall we created many chances and what I like is that we developed good team play. We played the game like we want to play it and we were capable at 1-0 down to come back and win the game, which is important when you’re going in to such a difficult championship like in England. In the two games we played at a good pace and in a physical championship like in England it’s important to be ready."
On how much Arsenal missed Van Persie last season...
"We missed him [Robin] and Thierry together. We missed them on the scoresheet. Robin played 17 games and Thierry 16. Together that’s 33 games. Robin scored 11 goals in 17 and Thierry 10 in 16. You could [normally] multiply that by two."
On his striking options...
"Don’t forget in this tournament we had not Adebayor, not Eduardo — who has a good goalscoring record — and we had not Walcott, who can score goals as well. We had not Rosicky either. He’s not maybe a goalscorer but he can provide chances."
On what he’s learned from the Emirates Cup...
"What I have learned is that the team loves to play together, the spirit in the team is absolutely fantastic and that this victory, although we do not categorise it as a trophy, builds up the belief of the team because we did not have the greatest season last year maybe confidence wise."
On whether Inter Milan’s goal exposed a defensive weakness...
"We have to work on that. In the air we have to be more efficient because in England that’s an important way to stop goals. For me Senderos played very, very well yesterday and he is good in the air. We have Djourou, who is injured at the moment, as well. So I feel we don’t want to buy a centre back."
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