Wenger: Mental strength key
15 Mar 2007 - 08:37:20
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger praised the mental strength of his players after they secured a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa to move back up to third place in the Premiership.
Abou Diaby's lucky strike just ten minutes in proved to be the winner at Villa Park and Wenger was pleased with the response of his squad after a tough last few weeks.
He said: "It was very important for us to show a great mental response. Your mental strength decides the shortness of your crisis.
"We were very disappointed after our Champions League exit and it's all about how quickly you respond by not losing the next game.
"The way the team responded was fantastic. We had a real desire about us and the result was vital for the rest of the season.
"In the first half we played well and created many chances. In the second half Villa made a real battle of it, but we showed another aspect of our game.
"We dropped physically in the second half, but we stood up and showed a great mental response."