Arsene Wenger: 'I hope this win will give us a lift now for the rest of the season. It is important now to focus on the Premiership'

Published: 13 April, 2014
by TOM FOOT at Wembley

FA Cup semi-final
ARSENAL 1, WIGAN ATHLETIC 1
(Arsenal win 4-2 on penalties)

ARSENE Wenger is hoping that an FA Cup bounce can lift his team's low spirits for the end of the Premiership season.

A relieved Arsenal boss had just watched his side squeeze past Wigan Athletic and book a place in the final for the first time in nine years.

But in the press conference Wenger was already thinking about wrestling fourth place back from Everton and regaining the lucrative Champions League spot.

He said: "I hope this win will give us a lift now for the rest of the season. It is important now to focus on the Premiership. We have a target now for the end of the season, but now we can concentrate on league.

"I am relieved because we were under big pressure. We needed to show some resilience and some nerves and we did it. It is important, mentally, not to go out. Can you imagine the consequences of going out tonight? It is quite worrying."

Arsenal made heavy weather of the Championship side and could easily have suffered a humiliating end to an impressive FA cup run, which had included wins over Spurs, Liverpool and Everton.

On the slow pitch, the Premiership stars struggled to find any rhythm or snap to their attacks. There were tired legs and the poor-quality passing began to frustrate the Arsenal fans – who commanded three quarters of the stadium.

No player epitomised the disappointing performance more than the hapless Yaya Sanogo – preferred to Giroud in the starting line-up – whose clumsy touches and poor decision-making wasted a hatfull of chances over the 120 minutes.

His best came after two minutes – a header from point-blank range that was powered straight at Wigan goalkeeper Carson. It was the first of several efforts for the striker, who often found himself in good positions and looked certain to open his Arsenal account on his Wembley debut.

But Wigan soaked up the pressure in the first half, matching Arsenal for clear-cut chances. So it was no surprise when they went ahead, Jordi Gomez calmly converting from the spot with a strong finish to Fabianski's right on 64 minutes.

Mertesacker had lunged in the box and completely missed the ball, sending Callum McManaman tumbling over right in front of referee Michael Oliver.

Wenger had one card to play: Olivier Giroud. Subbed on for the disappointing Podolski, he played alongside Sanogo up front in what appeared to be an old-style 4-4-2 formation.

Arsenal rallied late on, and on 76 minutes hit the post in a goalmouth scramble before Gibbs watched his header get cleared off the line. A shot-turned-cross by Oxlade-Chamberlain was then steered into the net by penalty villain Mertersacker on 81 minutes.

In extra time, neither side looked willing to win. Oxlade-Chamberlain clattered the crossbar on 110 minutes and winter crock signing Kallstrom, on for Ramsey, splurged a shot into the stands. 

Wigan were there for the taking but Arsenal looked tired and incapable of mounting any meaningful assault.

Gary Caldwell and Jack Collison had their penalties saved by a fist-pumping Fabianki while Kallstrom, Arteta, Cazorla and Giroud netted perfect spot-kicks.

The FA Cup Final is on May 17.

ARSENAL: Fabianski, Sagna, Mertesacker, Vermaelen (c), Monreal (Gibbs 63), Arteta, Podolski (Giroud 68), Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ramsey (Kallstrom 113), Cazorla, Sanogo.

Attendance: 82,185

ARSENAL COMMENT by Steve Barnett

A MASTER tactician whose charisma and passion for the beautiful game shines through. 

He uses words like "honour" and "duty" when describing the kind of performance he expects from his players. And he always sends his team out on to the pitch with the tools he believes they need to win – having studied the opposition mercilessly and changed his game in accordance. 

This manager doesn't, however, address the press with a French accent, but a German one. 

Unlike his counterpart, Arsène Wenger, Uwe Rosler knows how to play the occasion. Admitting that Wigan could never compete with Arsenal over every blade of grass for 90 minutes, he sent his side out for Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with a very precise and, dare I say, efficient gameplan. Wigan were well-organised, hunted in packs and attacked as a unit. Rarely were players caught out of position, and, even more importantly, they weren't afraid to let Arsenal have the ball in non-threatening areas. Yes, Wigan needed luck at times, but Rosler had clearly studied his opponents' strengths and come up with an idea or two on how to contain them. 

It was easy to see why the FA Cup holders have beaten three Premier League sides on their way back to Wembley, including a 2-1 win at Manchester City – a ground where Arsenal suffered a haunting 6-3 defeat. 

In contrast, Wenger never seems to give the opposition too much thought. He has so much faith and belief in his team that as a spectator you feel his final words before every match run on the lines of, "Go out there and show them what you can do lads!". An admirable philosophy, but in the modern game, is that enough? Can you really afford to just leave the players to find their own solutions? 

You don't see Wenger mixing up his formations or changing the personnel in accordance to who Arsenal are playing. If he did, they would have started Saturday playing 4-4-2. 

By tactical I'm not talking about the obvious changes like bringing on extra attackers when you're losing a game in the hope that outnumbering your opponents' defensive players will force a goal; or bringing on a sixth defender when you're 1-0 up and there's a nervy 15 minutes left. 

I'm talking about detailed, methodical plans that will force the Arsenal players to change their playing style from one week to the next. Adopting a strong, physical presence when they're away at Chelsea or West Ham, but a more incisive, quick-tempo passing game when Man City or Everton visit the Emirates. 

As it stands, Arsenal are all too often predictable, making it easy for opponents to knock them out of their stride and take points off them. 

Variety would give the Gunners that Plan B they so desperately need when games are not going their way. But in order for them to have a selection of playing styles, Wenger needs to spend as much time looking at his opponents as he does his own team. 

Hull boss Bruce says 'pressure will be on Arsenal' in Cup Final

HULL City will stand between Arsenal and their first major trophy in nine years, when the two sides contest the FA Cup Final on May 17.

The Tigers twice came from behind to eventually defeat League One side Sheffield United 5-3 in the second semi-final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.

After the match, Hull boss Steve Bruce said: “All the pressure will be on Arsenal,” before joking: “I’ve started all the bulls**t.”

Bruce did admit that his side would be “up against it” when they face Arsene Wenger’s side. Ironically, Arsenal can put down a marker for Wembley when the two clubs meet at the KC Stadium at the weekend. 

Before then, Arsenal know that nothing less than three points will do at home to West Ham tomorrow (Tuesday) evening as they look to regain the fourth Champions League spot from Everton.