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Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (L) celebrates after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League football between Belgrade (Crvena zvezda) and Arsenal, on October 19, 2017 in Belgrade. Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP |
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said his team will not adopt a defensive approach when it visits Premier League leaders Manchester City tomorrow.
Pep Guardiola’s City are off to a best ever start to a Premier League campaign with 28 points from 10 games, having remained unbeaten and scored 35 goals in the process.
Arsenal’s three league defeats this season have come on the road but Wenger is adamant his side will play to their strengths and not risk defending deep against a top attacking unit at the Etihad Stadium.
“We’ll of course try to play our game. We’ll not hide,” Wenger told reporters.
“When we go there, we’ll want to defend well. But we cannot go there and be focused on only defending. We want as well to play and have the ball and create dangerous situations. The best way to defend sometimes is to attack.”
City’s fluid attacking style of play is already drawing comparisons to Wenger’s 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ squad, who lifted the title without losing a single league game in the season.
Wenger, however, reckons it is too early into the season to assess a team and pointed to Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League this week as an example of a sudden shift in momentum.
“It’s only 10 games played, it’s 28 to go. That’s quite a long way,” he added.
“They (City) are going through a good patch. If you look at what has been said about Real Madrid three weeks ago, it shows you how fragile everything is in the game.”
Arsenal are currently fifth in the league with 19 points, trailing City by nine points.
Pep Guardiola’s City are off to a best ever start to a Premier League campaign with 28 points from 10 games, having remained unbeaten and scored 35 goals in the process.
Arsenal’s three league defeats this season have come on the road but Wenger is adamant his side will play to their strengths and not risk defending deep against a top attacking unit at the Etihad Stadium.
“We’ll of course try to play our game. We’ll not hide,” Wenger told reporters.
“When we go there, we’ll want to defend well. But we cannot go there and be focused on only defending. We want as well to play and have the ball and create dangerous situations. The best way to defend sometimes is to attack.”
City’s fluid attacking style of play is already drawing comparisons to Wenger’s 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ squad, who lifted the title without losing a single league game in the season.
Wenger, however, reckons it is too early into the season to assess a team and pointed to Real Madrid’s 3-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League this week as an example of a sudden shift in momentum.
“It’s only 10 games played, it’s 28 to go. That’s quite a long way,” he added.
“They (City) are going through a good patch. If you look at what has been said about Real Madrid three weeks ago, it shows you how fragile everything is in the game.”
Arsenal are currently fifth in the league with 19 points, trailing City by nine points.
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