Source: Daily_Mail
Hull City 1 Arsenal 3: Wenger's tough guys can slug it out in title race
High and mighty: Emmanuel Adebayor soars above the Hull defence to head Arsenal¿s opener.
Emmanuel Adebayor, who confirmed the visitors' early dominance with a simple headed goal, was asked if the title is still in their sights. 'Why not?,' he said. 'It's why we're on the pitch and why we play for Arsenal.
'At the moment we're six points behind Manchester United but it doesn't mean the title is finished. If you remember, at this time last season we were 10 points ahead of United but they won the title.
'There's no pressure on us. We just have to keep going, playing well and enjoying ourselves and we will see what we can achieve at the end of the season.'
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Hull's new signing Kevin Kilbane was in the Sunderland side who defeated a brittle Arsenal nine years ago but says there is now steel in the team Wenger sends on their travels.
The Republic of Ireland veteran said: 'They have Adebayor and Van Persie, who have a physical presence and like a physical battle and that couldn't be said about Arsenal a few years ago.
'As well as the ability to pass any side off the park, they did go direct and have power to mix it up. It's a question of when to do it. They have a physical side to them but also the players to open teams up. They have it both ways.
False hope: Daniel Cousin celebrates his equaliser but the joy was to be short-lived for Hull.
'I still don't think they'll win the title because I think United are the strongest side. But they have every chance of being thereabouts.'
Hull threatened to do an unlikely double in their first league meetings since World War One when Daniel Cousin's powerful header pulled the home side level.
But Wenger sent on Nicklas Bendtner, who overpowered and outwitted Hull, and the Arsenal manager was rewarded in the final 10 minutes with Samir Nasri's emphatic strike supplied by Van Persie, who looked offside when he did the same for Bendtner to finish with equal precision.
Wenger is also refusing to concede the title, although he knows a draw would have seen his team written off.
'That would have been the headlines but not necessarily the reality,' said Wenger. 'We'd have to deal with that but we believe in this team's resilience. Of course United will drop points. They won 1-0 against Wigan and 1-0 against Bolton in the last minute so that indicates they will drop points. They have a massive squad which is an advantage, but they will have injuries as we have.
'Nobody is flying at the moment, which is good because it gives hope to everybody. We don't talk about the title, we just talk about the next game and focus on that. We have momentum, so let's strengthen the belief in the team and see where we are in April.
'Everyone plays each other and we have some big games coming up. We need to be on our toes and get closer.'
As if Phil Brown did not have enough to worry about after five straight league defeats, the Hull manager must now contend with Marlon King's latest brush with authority. The on-loan Wigan striker, who was due to start on the bench, was apparently ruled out by a bug. However, the word was that he had been sent home from the KC Stadium after an unfavourable reaction to the team announcement.
Ice-cool finish: A composed Samir Nasri slots goal number two.
Brown had every right to feel aggrieved after his side were not awarded a penalty for Kolo Toure's aerial assault on Manucho, who made a lively entrance after the break.
The Angola striker, signed on loan from Manchester United on Friday, was caught late by the Arsenal defender. Anywhere else on the pitch and it was a free-kick, but Alan Wiley ignored the Hull protests and all Manucho earned for his discomfort was a lump the size of a snooker ball on his eye socket.
Brown said: 'I know people will feel I seem to be going overboard about referees, but it's a fact that decisions are going against us and if we got those decisions we'd be winning these games.
'Belief will carry us through. We know how many points will keep us in this division. This is the third phase of the season and it was always going to be difficult. To get off 27 points would be a relief. Hopefully, it would be a confidence boost, too, and we can kick on from there.'
HULL CITY (4-5-1): Myhill 7; Doyle 6, Turner 7, Ricketts 6, Kilbane 7; Mendy 6, France 6 (Fagan, 83min), Ashbee 5, Geovanni 5 (Garcia 87), Halmosi 4 (Manucho 54, 7); Cousin 6. Booked: Ashbee. ARSENAL (4-1-3-2): Almunia 6; Sagna 6, Toure 7, Djourou 7, Clichy 6; Diaby 7; Eboue 6 (Bendtner 69, 7), Denilson 6, Nasri 7; Van Persie 8, Adebayor 8 (Song 87). Booked: Clichy. Man of the match: Robin van Persie. Referee: Alan Wiley.
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Hull 1 Arsenal 3: All the action as it unfolded
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