Wenger puts Barcelona to the back of his mind and claims he is obsessed with beating Sunderland

04 March 2011 15:48
'Obsessed': Arsene Wenger is fully focused on Sunderland[LNB] Arsene Wenger has urged his Arsenal team to pounce on Manchester United's slip-up in the Barclays Premier League title race.[LNB]Wenger insists his 'obsession' is beating Sunderland at Emirates Stadium tomorrow after United's midweek loss at Chelsea left the Gunners trailing by four points with a game in hand.[LNB]Victory against the Black Cats would pile pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's side, who travel to Liverpool on Sunday.[LNB] Wenger wants his players to putTuesday night's eagerly awaited Champions League showdown withBarcelona out of their minds and concentrate on domestic issues.[LNB]'The championship is very important.Personally, I cannot believe we play Barcelona next week because myobsession is really Sunderland,' he said.[LNB]'Theobsession is more than the Champions League because for me it's highlyimportant that we take advantage of our situation in the Premier League.[LNB]'We battled everywhere since the start of the season against many specialist opinions that we have no chance at all.[LNB]'Now that we are in this situation, it would be very dramatic if we would not consider the importance of the game tomorrow.'[LNB] 'Character': Wenger believes Arsenal showed great togetherness to bounce back from the Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham by beating Leyton Orient[LNB] Arsenal have experienced a tumultuous period over the last three weeks, with their stunning first-leg upset of Barcelona offset by defeat to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final.[LNB]The loss at Wembley saw doubts over the team's temperament resurface, but Wenger insists their subsequent 5-0 thrashing of Leyton Orient in the FA Cup proves their character.[LNB]'I have learned a lot because every game teaches you things about your team,' he said.[LNB]'I feel that we have gone through highs and lows and what makes the life of a team and a player is how you resist negative emotions and keep your attitude aligned with your goals.[LNB]'You could see on Wednesday night that this team is mentally very strong and hungry for success and we look forward.[LNB] Out: Alex Song will miss the clash with Sunderland[LNB] 'We want to grow stronger and stronger. How the team responded to Sunday's disappointment is remarkable.[LNB]'Some individuals were a bit more down after the final and we talked to them.[LNB]'Overall, we were not tremendously down because we have so many high targets in front of us that the team is highly focused.[LNB]'This team is top quality and hungry for success.[LNB]'We promised ourselves to give absolutely everything until the end of the season and that is what we will do.'[LNB] Race against time: Cesc Fabregas is hoping to be fit for the Barcelona game[LNB] Midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song will miss tomorrow's visit of Sunderland and face a race to be fit for Barcelona.[LNB]'They are still improving for the Barcelona game. They have a chance," said Wenger.[LNB]'Fabregas at the moment has a stronger chance than Song, but they have a chance.'[LNB]Aaron Ramsey is included in the squad and could make his first Arsenal appearance since breaking his leg at Stoke in February last year.[LNB]Wenger is pleased to have him back from a productive loan spell at Cardiff and insists he is showing no lingering after-effects from the injury.[LNB] Set to feature: Aaron Ramsey returns to the Arsenal squad[LNB] 'Aaron has had to be very patient and he must feel very good to be back,' he said.[LNB]'When you have a big injury before the age of 20 normally you come back and you develop normally.[LNB]'That is why the big question mark about him was whether he would be back fully fit physically.[LNB]'That is now sorted out in a positive way, the rest is just a question of playing games. He has dealt with the injury very well.[LNB]'Certainly he has been very down for a long period, but on the outside signs he has shown he is always highly motivated and determined to work hard.'[LNB] Toure finds a friend in Wenger after Manchester City defender fails drugs testARSENAL v Sunderland: Wenger without skipper Fabregas and SongTHAT WAS THE SPORTING WEEK: Ashley Cole and the scandals that football kept quiet... until now!All the latest Arsenal news, features and opinion[LNB]  Explore more:People: Alex Ferguson, Alex Song, Arsene Wenger Places: Cardiff, Barcelona, Birmingham, Liverpool

Source: Daily_Mail