Source: Team_Talk
Wenger still gunning for glory
Wenger's side cantered to a 4-0 victory over Rovers at the Emirates Stadium, with Andrey Arshavin scoring his first, and perhaps second, goals for the club.[LNB]Arsenal took the lead after just 80 seconds as the Russian playmaker bundled the ball home via a hefty deflection of Andre Ooijer, though that strike may ultimately be chalked down as an own goal.[LNB]He scored a wonderful second after 65 minutes before Emmanuel Eboue stepped off the bench to add a late brace, including an injury-time penalty.[LNB]And, following the nailbiting Champions League win over Roma in midweek, Wenger now believes there is success to be enjoyed both domestically and in Europe.[LNB]"The boys were waiting for a long time to do that. It is up for grabs now," said Wenger.[LNB]"The team is really up for it. We are in good shape to fight on three fronts.[LNB]"I believe that maybe the pressure came off the team after the Roma game.[LNB]"We played with more freedom, our football was more fluent and our game is coming back.[LNB]"That's down to psychological reasons. We were always very focused and we are on a very consistent run now, so we can go from strength to strength.[LNB]"Would we have produced the same performance today had we gone out in midweek? It would have been very difficult."[LNB]Despite his optimism, Wenger did urge caution, stressing that there are plenty of serious challenges still ahead if a campaign which once looked to be lurching towards disaster is to be salvaged.[LNB]"Every game is a challenge. Before we start to dream, we have to play a game every three days," he said.[LNB]"Players are coming back from injury now, we have Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor coming back, so we can rotate now but we can't drop off in our performances."[LNB]Arshavin, who received stitches in a cut on his foot at half-time and celebrated his second-half strike with club doctor Gary O'Driscoll, was the man most obviously in the limelight, but Wenger was eager to share the praise.[LNB]Nicklas Bendtner, in particular, may question his finishing after he spurned several presentable chances, but the Frenchman was content to praise his all-round effort.[LNB]"Arshavin has intelligence, vision and talent and his second goal was an example of that," Wenger added.[LNB]"But I liked Samir Nasri's contribution today also. He looks to have more personality now and his influence is growing.[LNB]"Nicklas' overall contribution was also good. His finishing wasn't sharp but he played well. He has power, pace and he understands the game. People forget he is only 20 years old. It is wrong to boo him. But when he left the pitch, the fans clapped him."[LNB]Rovers boss Sam Allardyce was left disappointed not just by the result but by the pre-match injury to captain Ryan Nelsen and new fitness concerns over Gael Givet and Stephen Warnock, who both had to be substituted.[LNB]Nevertheless, the former Bolton and Newcastle manager remains upbeat about his side's chances of beating the drop.[LNB]"It chops and changes by the week," he said.[LNB]"It's what other people haven't done today which is most important for us, because we could have been back in the bottom three had results gone differently.[LNB]"We can't control that obviously but they've gone in our favour and we still have only lost three in 12, so we're on the up.[LNB]"If you only lose to the big boys, that's not so bad.[LNB]"What's important is that you don't lose to the other teams who are down there with you."[LNB][LNB]
