Group H Arsenal v Partizan Belgrade:ARSENE WENGER has told Arsenal to play without fear against Partizan Belgrade at the Emirates tonight, in a final Champions League group game they must win to be sure of qualification to the knockout stages.
The manager warned if his players concede an early goal it would make for a nervous evening, while at the same time Andrey Arshavin admitted that defence was a problem for the side.
Wenger said: “We will become a little bit edgy so it is better not to. You want to play the game without fear. Fear is the best way not to achieve what you want to achieve. Risk is part of the game – you have to accept that. I am a fan of that – I have a philosophy based on risk and I know it is part of the game. Nine times out of 10 you win, one time out of 10 you lose.”
Asked if fear can also be a motivator, the manager said: “We want to stay in this competition and the players want to stay in this competition. They know what they want to achieve.
“Having said that, even losing the game we can still qualify. We do not want to envisage that – we want to win the game.”
Arsenal beat Partizan 3-1 in the reverse fixture but they have lost their past two Champions League games, at Shakhtar Donetsk, who lead Group H, and Braga, who are level on nine points but have a hugely inferior goal difference. Having taken the lead against both Donetsk and Braga, Arsenal were unable to prevent either of them scoring twice.
Arshavin said: “We struggle all the time in defence. We have to score more than we concede. Of course we try to improve, but we can’t.” He delivered the appraisal with a smile. “We don’t blame our defenders,” the Russian added. “Sometimes I can’t run and that’s why I let my defenders make the cross and get the forward to score. It doesn’t always depend on the defenders. We must improve as a team on our defending. We don’t blame our defenders. We try to improve but can’t.”
Arshavin said he is unsure if he will finish his career in England. “I don’t know. If we were talking about one week then I would say ‘yes’. But five or six years? I don’t know. Who knows,” he said. “The English league is the best and everyone dreams of playing here.”
Thomas Vermaelen is out until the new year, and Johan Djourou will not be risked due to a thigh injury, but Wenger can call on Laurent Koscielny despite the head injury he suffered against Fulham on Saturday, and Sebastien Squillaci. He will be without Cesc Fabregas due to hamstring problems, although Wenger said the midfielder is now back in training.
Arsenal head the Premier League by one point from Manchester United, who have a game in hand, and Fabregas is also unlikely to be available for Monday’s pivotal meeting between the two at Old Trafford. “[He has] a small [chance],” Wenger added.
“That means it is a bit under 50 per cent at the moment. Abou Diaby [recovering from an ankle problem] is out practising as well. He also has a small chance.”
Wenger added: “We are not completely top of the tree because if United win at Blackpool [their game in hand] they go back. But we are in there – we have a chance. What we want to do is strengthen our lead because at the moment we cannot really say we are top of the league.
“But we have an opportunity to strengthen our position and we have that opportunity at Manchester. It is open and that is what makes it interesting.”
Guardian Service
