We want to win the group says Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

22 November 2012 06:50

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is relieved to have secured progression to the Champions League knockout stages with a game to spare but pledged to field a full-strength team at Olympiacos in a bid to top the group.

The Gunners dispatched of French champions Montpellier with relative ease as they claimed a 2-0 win at the Emirates Stadium which, combined with Schalke's late win over Olympiacos, ensured Arsenal's progression to the last 16 with a trip to the Greek side yet to come.

The north Londoners sit second in Group B heading into the last round of fixtures, and Wenger said: "We needed two good results - our result and the Schalke result - and we got both so obviously we're happy."

He added: "I found Montpellier well organised, strong in their challenges and quite aggressive so for us it was a question of being patient, not making mistakes, using our experience and wait for a chances.

"The first half we had problems in the transitions to go from defence to attack and in the second half it was better. We moved the ball quicker, made more incisive runs and scored two goals.

"There was one for (Jack) Wilshere, which I am pleased about because after such a long time out it is great to see him getting stronger and stronger. The second was fantastic by (Lukas) Podolski."

Arsenal are now through the group stages for the 13th season in succession - a feat of which Wenger is "very proud" and one he wants to cap with a victory at Olympiacos.

"We will play to win, to finish top of the group," he said.

"If you look at some groups, like the one with Dortmund and Real Madrid, you don't really know whether it is better to finish first or second. But overall statistically it is still better to finish top because you feel you've done better if you finish top of the group.

"We will try to win at Olympiacos and Montpellier can beat Schalke at home. We will take a full-strength team."

Source: PA