Source: Team_Talk
Wenger buoyed by confident Gunners
The Gunners kept up the pressure on leaders Chelsea and Manchester United with a 3-0 win over north London rivals Tottenham, before now turning attention to securing a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with victory over AZ Alkmaar on Wednesday night.[LNB]Arsenal have a match in hand on both Chelsea and United, who clash on Sunday, while the Blues travel to Emirates Stadium at the end of the month.[LNB]Russian playmaker Andrey Arshavin believes the current 11-match unbeaten run is evidence Wenger's men can compete for top honours.[LNB]The Gunners boss is content to see such determination, and believes, channelled correctly, it can only be positive.[LNB]"I am happy with the confidence," Wenger declared.[LNB]"However, you do not have to confuse confidence with arrogance.[LNB]"The confidence comes from that we are in this job to try to win, and I am very happy that the players believe they can do it.[LNB]"Usually when you are guided by fear, you are scared to come out and say things, because you feel stupid if we don't do it.[LNB]"I want my players to have that confidence and to be honest about it.[LNB]"It means we want to go for it and will give absolutely everything.[LNB]"I prefer that than for somebody to say 'maybe we are not strong enough to do it'."[LNB]Wenger, though, stressed the team - who will be without defender Gael Clichy for several weeks with a suspected stress fracture in his lower back - must remain totally switched on to the job at hand.[LNB]"We have to show that we can focus every three days, that we can play for each other every three days all along the season, also that we can prepare every game with the same kind of conscientious attitude and that we can win," the Arsenal manager said.[LNB]"Tomorrow we have to show that we can go into the game with the same seriousness that we have done on Saturday.[LNB]"There are a lot of thing which we have still to accomplish. It is all in front of us."[LNB]Midfielder Abou Diaby maintains Arsenal are learning all the time, having been caught out in stoppage-time when AZ equalised in Holland a fortnight ago, and then also throwing away a 2-0 lead at West Ham.[LNB]He said: "We have to be well organised and have a good position on the pitch.[LNB]"The thing is we have to show it every time we play - that we are a great team and can achieve something at the end of the season.[LNB]"We learned a lot from the old experiences. Now we try to practice what we learned before and be better this season."[LNB]Wenger is confident the youngster can make the step up to first-team regular once more.[LNB]"I was very comfortable now to have a solution to rest Clichy when it was needed and play Gibbs. Now suddenly there is a huge stress on Gibbs to play in every game," he said.[LNB]"Capello and England will be happy because they want him to play of course, but it is still a blow for us to lose Clichy.[LNB]"I have no doubt about the quality of Gibbs and I have said that many times."[LNB][LNB] Prem 2009/10 Win Outright: Arsenal 4/1
