Arsenal 2-0 Blackburn Rovers
Barclays Premier League
Emirates Stadium
Mon, Feb 11, 2008, 8pm
on an important weekend...
"It was a very good weekend for us because after the results of yesterday we were a bit under pressure to take advantage of the situation. We did it - I think we had a good start, with a good drive, going forward for the first twenty minutes, we scored an early goal. The second one didn't come and then Blackburn came back into the game in the last twenty minutes of the first half."
on the second period...
"In the second half I feel always we controlled the game, Friedel kept them in it, we were a little bit in-between 'let's not make a defensive mistake' and 'go forward and score absolutely the second goal' and I think the dominance was a bit in the side tonight - 'let's not make a defensive mistake and we'll score another one'. But overall, that's why I sometimes believed we missed something going forward, but overall Friedel kept them in the game and we scored a goal in the last minute."
on he road ahead..
"We had always the belief from the first day on but there is still a long way to go, you could see again tonight that as soon as you are not at your best at the top you can drop points, and we have seen that over the weekend. We still have twelve games, we are in a good position, we believe we can do it but we are not a fool as well, we know it's far from being over and we will have to fight until the last minute of the championship, certainly. We have a hard programme in front of us like everybody else."
on the growing pressure...
"I don't know, I feel we handled the pressure every time very well this week, this year, when we had our backs to the wall. For example last week we played first, at Man City, we won. This week we played last and we won as well. So in all the different kind of situation we faced we came up with - the only answer you can give when you are strong is to win your game."
on sitting five points ahead of United...
"I don't want my team to focus on the difference between us and the rest, I want them to focus on strengthening our lead and going to every game to keep that momentum going and assert our authority and to win every game, play like real challengers."
on the fans...
"They were a bit nervy tonight with one-nil. Of course, let's not be a hypocrite, you cannot say you are five points in front and you don't believe... you believe you have no chance, of course our supporters believe - rightly so. We believe we have a chance to do it but we are conscious as well that we have to keep our humility and our team spirit and the way we want to play the game, and focus very well on the way we want to play the game."
on being tipped as favourites...
"I don't know, that is always outside the group, you know? That's in people's minds, in our minds we believe we can do it and we want to grab this chance."
on Adebayor's run of goals...
"He can score goals but I believe as well all the strikers as well benefit from the outstanding teamwork, and it's not a coincidence that strikers who play here score goals because everybody goes forward, everybody gives you good balls and the team feeds you when you're a good striker. Here you get quite good food!"
on Fabregas appearing on the right...
"I had no real choice, Fabregas was three days in bed and credit to him, you know, not only did he play but we took him out of bed to play tonight and we played him in a different position. That shows you as well how much these players are up for it."