Arsenal FC The Pride Of London

On the difficulty of the game…
Partizan gave us the game we expected – [they were] full of commitment, full of power on every break. We had a lot of the ball and created a lot of chances. However, we could not kill the game off and then we were always under threat. They came back with the penalty - afterwards we needed to keep the pace high and when we got the second goal I thought we looked comfortable.


On Lukasz Fabianski’s performance…
Fabianski had a good game, we have seen the player tonight who we see in training. He had a faultless game. I know it is in him. He got it out in the game tonight and hopefully that will give him the needed belief and confidence. I am confident he will come out as a great keeper, I have always said that. We have to keep confidence in him and he needs to gain experience from games like this. At the moment Almunia is injured, we will have to see how his injury goes but at the moment it is too early to say.


On the atmosphere in Belgrade…
The atmosphere is special here, but overall it was supportive and not aggressive - that is what we want in football. I respect that kind of support, it is fantastic for the home team.


On the decision to substitute Jack Wilshere…
He got a few knocks and I decided to be cautious with him. Especially in the first half Jack, Arshavin and Chamakh were a constant threat. I like what he did on the goal because it is quick, instant reaction.


On bouncing back after Saturday’s defeat…
For us it was important to win straight away after a big disappointment against West Brom. It puts us in a good position confidence wise. Sunday is a big, big game for us. I believe we will go there with a desire to do extremely well.


On the power cut before the game…
I thought it would be terrible to go home and not play. I encouraged UEFA when they asked if I wanted to play with one corner off, I said yes.

Johan Djourou made his second start of the season on Tuesday and contributed to a welcome 3-1 win over Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League.

After the game the Swiss defender stopped to talk to Arsenal TV Online on his way out of the Partizan Stadium.

Johan discussed:

• making it hard for themselves
• why there is still work to do in Group H
• the defensive performance
• featuring in the big games again
• the prospect of playing at Chelsea
• what a win at Stamford Bridge would do
• the atmosphere at the Partizan Stadium

Arsenal have announced an 18-man squad for Tuesday night's Champions League clash with Partizan Belgrade.

Kieran Gibbs is back in the squad after recovering from the foot injury he sustained during the Carling Cup win at Tottenham last week.

Meanwhile Manuel Almunia's injury has opened the door for Lukasz Fabianski to start in Serbia with Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny also in the travelling party.

Arsenal squad to face Partizan Belgrade:

21. Lukasz Fabianski
53. Wojciech Szczesny
3. Bacary Sagna
22. Gael Clichy
6. Laurent Koscielny
7. Tomas Rosicky
8. Samir Nasri
11. Carlos Vela
15. Denilson
17. Alex Song
18. Sebastien Squillaci
19. Jack Wilshere
20. Johan Djourou
27. Emmanuel Eboue
23. Andrey Arshavin
29. Marouane Chamakh
28. Kieran Gibbs
46. Henri Lansbury

By Chris Harris

Arsène Wenger has called for a sense of perspective in the wake of Arsenal's surprise 3-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

The Frenchman admitted his team were "flat" at Emirates Stadium on Saturday as the Baggies surged into a three-goal lead after the break and held on for a shock win despite a late double from Samir Nasri.

Wenger has analysed the performance and now wants to draw a line under it as Arsenal focus on an important Champions League clash with Partizan Belgrade.

"The whole squad was very very low yesterday because we knew we had a good opportunity to win this game [against West Brom] and we didn't catch it," said Wenger.

"We have to stand up for what happened to us. It is our first defeat of the season and I think we have to take a perspective and a distance with that. We have done extremely well since the start of the season so now we will regroup and play well tomorrow night.

"Yes [it is good to draw a line under it] because we gave a lot physically against West Brom and it was not because we lacked effort [that we lost]," he added.

"I think we rushed our game and we didn't respect the priorities in our game and that's why we lost. But we gave a lot and I believe we will have a good game tomorrow because we are a good team."

By Chris Harris

Arsène Wenger is hoping for positive news when the extent of Kieran Gibbs' foot injury is confirmed on Wednesday.

The England left back was superb during Arsenal's 4-1 win at Tottenham on Tuesday night but he limped off after 12 minutes of extra time at White Hart Lane.

Gibbs spent the last six months of last season on the sidelines after needing two operations on a broken metatarsal and Wenger fears he may have suffered a similar injury.

"We have to check," said the manager.

"That is the only disappointment of the night because he had a very good game and we hope we do not get bad news tomorrow morning.

"It is a metatarsal again but the one next to the one he had broken. The second metatarsal. That would be a massive blow to us."

on the performance...
The game was enjoyable. We played well in the first half but we were only one goal in front and after that Tottenham came back. We were for a few minutes a little bit in danger but slowly we took over again and in the final 20 minutes it looked that would could score, but we didn't. Then we got these two penalties which in my opinion were penalties and that was the turning point of the game. But overall we played very well.

on the strength of the team...
We got a few reproaches that we didn't take the competition seriously, that it was a derby, it was the start of a competition and to go out straight away would be difficult. We have a momentum going and it is sometimes important not to interrupt it. Some players needed competition like Gibbs, Denilson and Vela. Overall that was the reason.

on whether his selection was a one-off...
I don't know yet. It depends as well on the injuries, we had so many players out today. When you look at the players we left at home, when everybody's fit I can go as well for this competition. It depends.

on accepting the FA charge...
I accepted it because what I was charged with I did so I could not deny it, so that's why I took it. I could appeal but I thought it was better to get it behind me. It was quite enjoyable to watch from upstairs.

on communicating with the bench...
It was a bit of a problem sometimes but overall it went well.

on his opinion of the Carling Cup...
I said before that the two big competitions that really count are the Champions League and the championship and I maintain that. But it doesn't mean that I do not celebrate when we win games. I want to win every single game I play with my team.

on Jack Wilshere...
He was outstanding. I am a bit cautious with him because you do not want to get too quickly too early all the praise. In the first half I think he has shown a little bit of everything you want from a football player. He got some stick and he could take it, he didn't respond. He played, tackled, won the ball and tactically his position on the pitch was always good. He had an outstanding first half. He is fearless.

on the Tottenham goal...
I need to see it again. He touched it and he looked like he had it. Apart from the goal he had a good game, his decision-making was good, he had not too many shots to stop but overall it is good for him that we won.

on Henri Lansbury...
He has not played for a long time and he is a bit like Ray Parlour - up and down, fantastic engine, good attitude. He smells when you have to be in the box. He is a player who is always in there when a cross is coming in from the other side. He always scores goals.

Jack Wilshere was instrumental in Arsenal's 4-1 win over Tottenham in the Carling Cup on Tuesday.

The teenager orchestrated play from midfield, showing great maturity in his first taste of a North London derby.



After the game, Wilshere spoke exclusively to Arsenal TV Online.

He discussed:

• the importance of the victory at Spurs
• the first-half performance
• enjoying his role in the centre
• the goal Arsenal conceded
• Samir Nasri's penalties
• Henry Lansbury's goal celebration
• coping with the absence of Cesc Fabregas
• the game at the weekend against WBA

By Chris Harris

Arsène Wenger has dedicated his team's Carling Cup victory over Tottenham to Jack Chester, who died last week.

Jack was a prominent face of Arsenal’s partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust, Arsenal's Charity of the Season in 2008/09. He worked closely with the Club during the ‘Be a Gooner.  Be a Giver.’ campaign, helping raise more than £500,000 for an education zone inside a brand-new Day Care Centre for cancer patients at University College Hospital in London.

Jack lost his own battle against the disease on September 15 and Wenger paid tribute to the 19-year-old at his post-match press conference on Tuesday night.

"I would like to dedicate this game to Jack Chester," said Wenger. "He was a young boy who was last year the figurehead of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity, he did the press conferences with us.

"He died last Wednesday so I would like to have a thought for him tonight because he was in full power at the start, he made the full team photo with us. Unfortunately he had a resurgence of his cancer."

Arsène Wenger has made eight changes to his team for tonight’s Carling Cup tie at Tottenham.
 
The Arsenal manager tends to rely on youth in this competition but he has decided to field a number of established players at White Hart Lane.
 
Henri Lansbury is a notable inclusion while fellow youngsters Craig Eastmond and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas are on the bench.
 
But the likes of Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Laurent Koscielny, Denilson and Emmanuel Eboue all start.
 
Carlos Vela will lead the line, Johan Djourou starts for the first time this season and Lukasz Fabianski will play in goal.
 
Arsenal team: Fabianski, Eboue, Koscielny, Djourou, Gibbs, Lansbury, Denilson, Wilshere, Rosicky, Nasri, Vela. Subs: Almunia, Sagna, Clichy, Arshavin, Chamakh, Eastmond, Emmanuel-Thomas

The Football Association released the following announcement at 12pm on Tuesday:
 
Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has admitted a charge of using insulting and/or abusive language and behaviour amounting to improper conduct.
 
Wenger has accepted the standard sanction of an £8,000 fine and a one match touchline ban which will be served with immediate effect at Arsenal’s Carling Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur this evening (Tuesday).
 
The charge related to Wenger’s conduct towards match officials at the conclusion of Arsenal’s match against Sunderland on 18 September.