Arsène Wenger has highlighted the 5-2 derby victory over Tottenham Hotspur as the turning point in Arsenal's season and the moment when his team were able to repair a damaged relationship with the supporters. Arsenal had entered the game at Emirates Stadium on 26 February trailing Tottenham by 10 points and when their local rivals took a 2-0 lead, they appeared to be in position to finish Arsenal's season.
The frustration of the Arsenal fans had been building and some of them took it out on the winger Theo Walcott, who endured a nightmarish start to the match. But the team fought back, with Walcott setting the seal on the win with the fourth and fifth goals.
"I believe we turned a corner that day," Wenger said. "I believe that game also helped to heal some bruises with the fans. The relationship between the team and the fans is always created by results and the results in the derby even more so, because it is linked with pride. Fans want to see the players fight and on the day, that is what they did."
Arsenal play Manchester City at home on Sunday, in a game with massive implications for both the title and the race for Champions League qualification, having seen their run of seven straight league victories ended by the loss at Queens Park Rangers last weekend. Tottenham, who play at Sunderland on Saturday, sit fourth in the table, level on points with Arsenal and trailing them only on goal difference. Wenger, though, believes that momentum is key at this stage of the season and, despite the disappointment at QPR, he feels it is with his team.
"The dynamic is linked with many ingredients – with the leaders in the group, with the potential people feel they have – but momentum is its own element and that can influence the opposition as well because they feel it on the pitch, too, when they face a team that just refuses to give up," Wenger told the club magazine. "We have felt like that ourselves when we played against a team on a roll. Scoring a goal quickly after going behind, which we have done many times, also helps your belief.
"You will not always come back from 2-0 down but the feeling that you never give up can, of course, be sustained. I never question the attitude of this team, which I may have done in some previous years. But this season, never. I must say Robin Van Persie has done an outstanding job of leading the team, as have many senior players – people like Vermaelen, Arteta, Song, Sagna. They have played a big part in setting the tone in the squad."
Source: David Hytner, The Guardian on 5 Apr 12
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