Published: 15 October, 2015
by STEVE BARNETT

GREEN-FINGERED Arsene Wenger believes team spirit “is like a flower”, and is confident that if he “cultivates” Arsenal’s properly this season the club will be destined for success. 

The Gunners return to Premier League action on Saturday with a tricky trip across the capital to face Watford. 

They then face a make-or-break home clash against Bayern Munich on Tuesday as they attempt to salvage a misfiring Champions League campaign. 

Club captain Mikel Arteta said earlier this season that the camaraderie among the Arsenal squad is the best he has ever known. 

In an Eric Cantonaesque seagulls-style, Wenger chipped in adding that it is important to protect that – at all costs – because it can make the difference between winning and losing come the end of the season. 

“You can ask the question the other way around. Can you be successful without team spirit? If I asked you that question, straight away you would say no,” he told Arsenal Player. 

“That just shows you how important it is. It’s difficult to put a percentage on it, but you know without it you have no chance. You can have different degrees of team spirit, because without it you have no football at all. 

“But how far can you go in cultivating and developing that team spirit? That’s our target. 

“We know that to have a chance of being successful, we want to be more of a team than any other side in the Premier League. Therefore, I believe it’s a little bit like a flower.

“You have to take care of it and look after it every day, or else it will slowly die. But as well, you can make the flower bigger, better and prettier if you care for it. 

“We believe that part of the responsibility of the players and the staff is to take care of team spirit.” 

In team news, Laurent Koscielny has “a slight chance” of facing Watford on Saturday, but faces a late fitness test following a hamstring injury. 

Alexis Sanchez could be benched by Wenger after covering some serious air miles to play for Chile during the international break, while Theo Walcott is expected to lead the line after impressing with England.