ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE: Arsenal v Liverpool:ARSENE WENGER has insisted he will not abandon his principles in the wake of traumatic defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea which he admitted were "very painful" to endure, but called for patience and realism as Arsenal confront the prospect of a fifth successive season without silverware.
Arsenal are nine points off the top after Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Stamford Bridge and welcome Liverpool to the Emirates tonight conscious that they must emulate the form of their 10-match unbeaten run that spanned December and January if they are to recover their title challenge. The club retains hope in the Champions League but Wenger will not be swayed from his policy of developing young talent rather than spending lavishly in the market, even if the trophy drought continues.
The striker Marouane Chamakh will move to Arsenal when his contract expires at Bordeaux in the summer, with Liverpool’s interest successfully deflected, but the 26-year-old’s arrival will not threaten the London club’s wage structure. Asked whether he placed as much emphasis on keeping his club solvent as his team successful, Wenger said: “Certainly. We cannot show Carlo Ancelotti (that we can spend large sums in the market) because Chelsea can lose £150 million (€178m) and we cannot live like that. Football lives in an artificial world at the moment. We have to live in a realistic world at Arsenal, and we are very proud of that.
“If you go high on transfer fees, you also go with high wages. It is linked, but we cannot afford (to do that). Also, we live as if everybody can just buy, buy and buy in the market. But look what happened in the January transfer window. Give me one big move: there were none. People ask me: ‘Why did you not buy a great striker?’ Well, tell me one who moved clubs. There wasn’t one. We are one of the 10 best clubs in Europe and players who can strengthen our team in that window are either not available or at a price that we cannot afford.”
Arsenal have been found out this season by the top two sides, who have each achieved league doubles over Wenger’s charges. The losses to United and Chelsea have deflated the club – “The mood is very down,” said Wenger – and the manager has called for unity and resolve as they try to instigate a recovery this evening.
Rafael Benitez has defended Wenger against criticism he is a sore loser.“I don’t know too many good managers who are good losers. You cannot be a good manager if you are happy to lose; you have to work hard and you have to defend yourself if necessary. I think he has experience, he has his own personality and he is a very good manager,” said Benitez.
The Liverpool manager, who will be without the suspended Sotirios Kyrgiakos and the ill Alberto Aquilani tonight, said: “They have different kinds of players and the style of Arsenal is very clear but they have been very successful, too. They have a good manager with experience and they play nice football and can beat anyone so they have it all.
“They can take some risks and sometimes they break for them. Arsenal had 70 per cent of the possession against Chelsea and to me that is a lot. They had some chances too but they were losing from the first minute and that is not a normal situation. They were going forward and creating so I don’t agree with the analysis that they were predictable and under control.”
Steven Gerrard yesterday claimed Liverpool could yet finish third in the Premier League this season, although much rests on the outcome at the Emirates. “I’m sure Arsenal will be a bit of a wounded animal,” said the Liverpool captain. “It’s a massive game for us and the target is to try and get a result where we can push on and try and get third place. Obviously at the end of the season our target is a top-four finish but if Arsenal give us any sniff of catching them then we want to grab it.”
GuardianService
