Arsenal is brimming with confidence after their impressive win over Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.
A number of Arsenal players, including the manager, spoke of the teams ability and the necessity to build off their win against the German team. The hope is that the win will see Arsenal maintain their form in the Premier League and kick-start their Champions League campaign.
Petr Cech spoke to Arsenal.com after the match and outlined the need for the club to use this win as a momentum builder.
“The position has not changed but now with these three points it was crucial to win and we can carry on at the moment in the league then in two weeks we will try to do the same.”
Cech also discussed the keys to last night’s victory.
“I think the key was to keep the discipline in the performance because they played really well and came full of confidence and they controlled the game by having the ball and opening spaces.”
Cech reserved special praise for Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer, who pulled off a world class save to keep a close range Theo Walcott header from crossing the line.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPgkadT9Eys
“I think at the moment I saw the header and I thought we were winning then it bounced back and I was like, ‘How did he do that?’ The game could have probably been different if we had scored but in the end when you win a game you would not change a thing.”
Francis Coquelin agreed with Cech and now wants to see the club kick on the rest of the season with consistent performances.
“In the first two games we didn’t perform and we knew we had to win here to stay in the competition.
“We have been doing really well in the league and we had to do that in the Champions League too, and we have done that so we have to carry on in that way.”
In form Mesut Özil, scorer of Arsenal’s second goal, expressed his delight with the win as well as his current form. In Arsenal’s past three matches, Özil has scored twice and assisted three times.
“I’m really satisfied with my performances. I’m on a good way, I feel at ease and you can see that the team and the manager give me their trust.”
Arsene Wenger singled out Cech and Olivier Giroud, who scored Arsenal’s first goal in bizarre fashion, for praise.
“He [Cech] was important. I think he kept us in the game and you can say the same for Neuer. We had two top, top, top world-class keepers on the pitch today and that of course was vital on both sides.”
“I would give him [Giroud] some credit because it is not easy, he has always played and he had a bit of a dip in form.
“I have seen that in the last two weeks that he is coming back to his best but the focus he brings and the spirit he shows is he is a winner.”
Arsenal returns to action in the Premier League against Everton on Saturday.
Arsenal will definitely be without Aaron Ramsey who was taken off with an apparent hamstring injury. As of yet, there is no timetable for the Welshman’s return.
Arsenal may also be without the services of Alexis who Wenger described as “jaded” and “pushes himself too much.” Considering that Alexis has now played four matches in a week and a half with an iffy groin, a rest is well deserved.
In the mean time, Arsenal fans can bask in the satisfaction of Tuesday’s victory while the squad turns their attention to a difficult match against Everton.
