Source: Team_Talk
AW: Frugal Gunners can be proud
Manchester United moved back to within a point of leaders Chelsea following a 3-0 win over West Ham on Tuesday night, albeit now having played a match more.[LNB]The third-placed Gunners are currently six points off the pace with 11 games left.[LNB]While Wenger's youngsters may have come up short in the direct clashes against the top two this season, the remaining fixtures appear to be kind to the Gunners.[LNB]Chelsea, meanwhile, host top-four contenders Manchester City on Saturday, and travel to Old Trafford next month.[LNB]Wenger - whose side trail Porto 2-1 from the first leg of their Champions League clash last week - maintains given Arsenal's relative little comparable investment, to still be in the hunt for the top prizes is an achievement in itself.[LNB]"There are three clubs in the fight for the championship - when you see how much money the others have invested, we have not to be ashamed," Wenger said in the March edition of the official Arsenal magazine.[LNB]"There are two main trophies in our job - the Champions League and the Premier League; today, we can still win them both.[LNB]"In addition, the club is in a healthy situation and we have a fantastic young side.[LNB]"If that is still not enough, I can understand, but we are fighting very hard to deliver.[LNB]"I believe that Arsenal fans can be very proud of their club, and that is at least what we try to give them - pride."[LNB]Wenger added: "We were all bitterly disappointed against Manchester United and Chelsea, but at the end of the day, we had the sprit to respond.[LNB]"If we had just drawn both of those games, we would be in an unbelievable position, so we are very close - let's give everything in the final games and we will see."[LNB]Wenger, though, has little time for pundits who have already written off his team's chances of a first trophy since 2005.[LNB]"Regardless of outside perceptions, we share a great optimism here about the season," he said.[LNB]"What other people think is less important - what happens here is the deciding factor, along with how much belief we put into our game.[LNB]"We are in a fantastic position and it is now about how we turn it our way."[LNB]Wenger added: "The mathematics are easy - we just have to win our games.[LNB]"In the position we are in, we do not need to calculate - the best way is to win one game, and then win the next one."[LNB]Abou Diaby (knee), William Gallas (calf), Andrey Arshavin and Eduardo (both hamstring) are fighting to be fit for Saturday's late kick-off at Stoke.[LNB]Arsenal, fielding a changed side, were well beaten 3-1 by Tony Pulis' side in the fourth round of the FA Cup, and have yet to win at the Britannia Stadium.[LNB]Theo Walcott, though, insists it is time for Wenger's men to stand up and be counted.[LNB]"These are the sort of games where people will look to us to show our character. We just need to grind out a result," Walcott told Arsenal TV Online.[LNB]"People will think we will go there and get blown over, but we need to stand up for ourselves. We need to try to put the FA Cup defeat right.[LNB]"If you get tackled, you just need to get up, because if you stay on the floor, then they know they have won.[LNB]"You just have to get back at them, and if you can keep doing that, then hopefully you can win the battle."[LNB]Walcott maintains Arsenal cannot worry about any results apart from their own.[LNB]The England forward said: "We are not concentrating on any other team and just as long as we get those three points, it will be exciting until the end of the season."[LNB][LNB] Stoke v Arsenal. Click here to bet.
