The Gunners got a pretty good morale boost over the weekend when they managed a win against Aston Villa. After a rough week, the 2-1 win was very well received especially with one of the most important matches of the season only days away. The confrontation with Tottenham could well prove to be decisive in the context of the Champions League qualification. We are currently 5th, four points behind Spurs after our North London rivals beat West Ham on the back of a stunning Bale double. We can only hope the Welshman has an off day when he faces us, as he looks like a world beater at the moment and it’s hard to imagine us silencing him for a game but you never know as the weight of expectation can do funny things to players. Fortunately we are only two points behind Chelsea who simply do not look like a team these days under Benitez so perhaps our best chance of getting into the top 4 lies with us usurping the Blue team from West London.
Both Wilshere, who is starting to look more and more like a true leader, and Wenger have strong hopes for the end of the season and believe their team is capable of finishing 2nd. They have to firstly defeat Tottenham and then not drop points taking advantage of any mistakes their adversaries make. It will take a bit of luck especially with Manchester City looking like they are coming into form, but our manager is making alot of positive noises about finishing 2nd in this years’ Premier League so you never know.
In recent statements, Wenger has implied that their battle is not only with Tottenham and that a 9 point advantage is not enough for the Citizens to secure second place. Chelsea were not left out either. Wenger said that it is going to be a tight fight and except for Manchester United, none of the other teams fighting for a place in next years’ Champions League can be 100% sure of where they will finish at the end of the season.
Wenger also felt the need to point out the fact that the win against Villa was great for his team’s morale. It brought some peace and quiet to the club that is vital ahead of this weeekend’s’ clash against the Spurs. The Frenchman also praised his players for having a great attitude even if times are tough. They were focused and managed it find a way to win against Villa and they will need more of this resilience in the coming weeks.