Time: 11:00 pm - (Live)
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102
EPL
Game 32
But Arsene Wenger reckons the reason they are now facing an
uphill battle to be Premier League champions is because they cannot
deal with ‘money time’.
That is the phrase the Arsenal manager uses to describe the
closing stages of key games in the title run-in.
Put simply, he believes Manchester United can handle it and City
can’t.
And the evidence of the last month of the championship race
would seem to suggest he is right.
City, five points clear at the top of the table at the beginning
of March, travel to the Gunners tomorrow really needing a win to
keep their hopes alive.
That is because after taking five points from their last four
matches, Roberto Mancini’s nervy novices now find themselves five
points BEHIND their neighbours.
United, renowned championship challengers, closed in on their
20th top-flight crown with a typically solid 2-0 win at Blackburn
on Monday.
Wenger, who has guided his Gunners to three Prem crowns, said:
“It’s been difficult for City.
“They have been outstanding at home. It is away from home they
have lost a little bit. Manchester United are surprisingly there in
a comfortable position. No one expected them to be.
“They have not looked absolutely irresistible this year and you
could see that again on Monday night against Blackburn. But they
managed to win the game.
“If United make it this year it is really down to
experience.
“What I mean by that is that even the other night at Blackburn,
when Ryan Giggs came on in the last 15 minutes, you thought they
can only win it now because they know how to deal with the money
time.
“That means the last 15 minutes in football when it is 0-0. They
don’t make a mistake and they have that security at the back.
“They have won so many titles because they are not nervous.”
It is bound to be another edgy afternoon at the Emirates
tomorrow as both teams know defeat could have huge implications on
their season.
Wenger believes City need to win to keep their flickering hopes
alight while a defeat for his team could prove ultimately fatal in
their bid to fend off Tottenham in the North London duel for third
spot.
Wenger said: “I feel it’s a want-to-win game for us and must-win
game for City.
“A draw for them will not be good enough at this stage of the
season. In the last two seasons they have come here to play for a
draw.
“But both teams will be looking for a win this time.”
United will open up an eight-point gap at the top with victory
at home to QPR — a game that finishes around half-an-hour before
City kick off against the Gunners.
While Wenger knows Mancini must go for the win, he does not
believe United fans should get too carried away if Arsenal win.
The Frenchman said: “It won’t be over but it will make things
very, very difficult for City.
“City will fight but I believe we should wait and see what
happens over the weekend.
“Unfortunately we are not involved in the title race and we will
let them sort it out between themselves.
“But, at the moment, Manchester United have the advantage.”
Wenger has seen his side charge up to third on the back of seven
league wins on the spin — a run ended by the 2-1 defeat at QPR last
Saturday. He added: “Our job is always to cope with the
consequences of the game, but before you just focus on what you
want to do well.
“The momentum is still there because in the last eight games we
have won seven, so it was an interruption and a disappointment.
“We want to come back to what was our recent level.”
Wenger and Arsenal fans will recognise a few familiar faces in
the City camp.
That is because the red half of North London has become a
favourite haunt of big-spending City in recent seasons.
Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and, most recently,
Samir Nasri have all ventured to the dark side of the Blue
Moon.
City’s backroom team also includes former Gunners Brian Marwood,
Brian Kidd, David Platt and Patrick Vieira.
Perhaps the only surprise is that their Arab owners did not call
their home ground the Emirates and change their shirts to red.
They say imitation is the biggest form of flattery although
Wenger said: “I do not know whether to be flattered... or
worried!
“But they have enough former Arsenal players there now. I
believe it is eight. Why do they keep coming to us? Because we have
good players and young players and that’s it.”
Nasri has hardly set the Premier League on fire since leaving
Arsenal to join City in a £24million switch in August.
Asked to assess his former star’s performances in light blue,
Wenger paused, then smiled before replying: “I’ll leave that to
you.”
It almost reinforced Wenger’s view that players rarely improve
after leaving the Gunners.
He said: “Arsenal is a good place to be because the players are
educated to play a certain way.
“When the players leave very young like Nasri, Clichy and
Fabregas, of course, they will continue to develop their game.”
The likes of Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez have given Mancini
headaches this season.
But Arsenal had their own matter to resolve this week when
striker Marouane Chamakh was pictured smoking a shisha pipe with
Morocco team-mate Adel Taarabt after the Loftus Road loss.
Wenger insisted the incident had been dealt with but added it
was “not the best thing to do”.
However, he stressed it was too early to say if Chamakh would
still be a Gooner come August.
Wenger joked: “We want him to focus completely, without smoking,
until the end of the season.”
