On coming from behind to win…
I’m very happy today because we won against a good Everton side. We had problems in the first half getting started. I feel we had chances but our game lacked a bit of cohesion in the passing and we lost some balls down to good closing-down from Everton and as well to some technical mistakes. And today I would say it was more a victory of a team with fantastic spirit and a never-say-die attitude than our usual game. But that of course is needed in a competition like that.
On Everton’s goal…
For me the first goal was offside. If someone can demonstrate mathematically to me that it was not, I am ready to accept it. But it was offside because the pass was destined to Saha at the start. He was three-yards offside. I think Koscielny touched the ball and they interpreted it as a pass. I interpreted it as a deflection. But clearly the intention was to give the ball to Saha was offside and he took advantage of his offside position. After, he finished fantastically well. But we were 1-0 down and had it all to do in the second half.
On the character of the team…
I am very happy because this is maybe the aspect of the team which has been questioned the most, and recently that’s where we have been the most convincing. In smaller games at Leeds, against Ipswich, against Huddersfield. We played our tenth game today in one month and every time we have shown, even when football-wise our level dropped a little bit, we have always shown fantastic attitude.
On whether the goal spurred the team on…
As well, because you could see straight away that we had a good response. I must say we were not sharp until Everton scored.
On why the team started slowly…
I don’t know, but we [have] played game-after-game. Sometimes it can take you a while to get into the game. In the second half I think it was all us, and you could feel that any moment we could score. We kept going and Everton dropped in the second half.
On Alex Song’s injury…
He cannot walk. I don’t know what he has got. He was kicked, I think it was by Koscielny, he knocks out everybody in our team. So we have to see how he responds to that in the next days, but he cannot walk at the moment.
On Samir Nasri’s injury…
Nasri, the scan shows a hamstring strain. 21 days.
On Andrey Arshavin’s impact…
If you look at the assists in the Premier League, Arshavin is the best. He’s had a drop in form recently, but he’s a great player. And you could see straight away when he came on today that he can deliver something special. He’s coming back. I thought already on Sunday. He was better today; he was calmer and he got us a vital goal tonight, so overall I’m very pleased.
On the transfer market…
It goes from one to the other. You give £50 million to one club, and that club can spend it again. Football has always lived like that. We have always said that the smaller clubs live from the money they get from the bigger clubs because they can spend it again.
On if Theo Walcott picked up a knock at the end of the game…
He has an ankle problem I think, but I don’t know how serious it is.
Source: Arsenal.com on 1 Feb 11
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