Fabregas:
THANKS, YOU ACTUALLY FIRED US UP
THEY were well written off at the start of the EPL season.
But the Gunners have proved all wrong, so far.
And Cesc Fabregas maintains these critics actually 'fired us up'
for the campaign.
The Gunners will look to put a terrible week behind them when
top-six hopefuls Aston Villa come to Emirates Stadium on
Saturday.
While thoughts of the whole squad are with injured striker
Eduardo, set to be out for the best part of a year following his
fractured leg and dislocated ankle, focus is centred on ensuring a
season which has promised so much ends on a high.
Despite the disappointment of their last-gasp draw at Birmingham
last Saturday, Arsenal are nevertheless three points clear of
Manchester United at the top of the table.
Their Champions League ambitions are not yet finished as the tie
against AC Milan remains delicately poised following a goalless
first leg.
Having so much left to play for at this stage of the campaign is
in marked contrast to how many pundits had predicted life would pan
out for Arsene Wenger's young Gunners in the wake of last summer's
departure of talisman captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona.
Fabregas, though, believes the squad used those negative vibes
to their own advantage.
Speaking in the March issue of the Official Arsenal Magazine, in
an interview conducted ahead of last weekend's game, the Spaniard
recalled: 'It is true that people were taking us out of the top
four at the start of the season, even placing us in the middle of
the table.
ADDED PRESSURE
'I don't think it added pressure, in fact it probably helped us
more because we wanted to show everyone what we could do. It fired
us up.'
Fabregas continued: 'We knew we had the quality, we know what we
can do. The important thing is always not what others believe, but
what you yourself believe.
'If we don't do well then people can say what they want - but if
we do well, then that will be for everyone inside for the club and
for the fans. That is who we are playing for, no-one else.
'You want to win all the time and last season it was difficult.
Each morning when you wake up and go to training, if you are in
third or fourth position, it is not the same.
'Now every morning when we come into training we feel ready to
fight for the title, to take on the big teams, the big players, and
that is why I really love being a footballer. It is for these
moments.'
Fabregas believes the Gunners can draw strength from their
position ahead of the chasing pack, but warned they 'would be
stupid' to believe the title was already in the bag.
'We should take inspiration from being top. We have to try to
keep the gap, and keep playing in the same way,' he said.
'We are not thinking it's all over, we would be very stupid to
do that. We have to keep working hard and keep believing we can do
it.
'If we can win the title it would be amazing considering the age
of the team. It would be unbelievable.
'For me to win the league at 20 years old, playing every game,
that would be something unforgettable.'
Wenger must now look to another regular strike partner for
leading marksman Emmanuel Adebayor, with young Dane Nicklas
Bendtner having come off the bench at St Andrews.
Arsenal could see their attacking options boosted next month by
the return to fitness of Dutch forward Robin van Persie.
However, the Arsenal manager indicated he would not rush van
Persie - who has endured an injury-plagued campaign - back into
action too soon, although he could be included for next week's trip
to Milan if all goes well with his rehabilitation.
Another player hoping to make his return at the San Siro is
defender Kolo Toure.
Only just back from the African Nations Cup, the centre-half
suffered a calf injury during the first leg against the Italian
side at Emirates Stadium on 20 Feb.
Wenger said: 'I could be a bit short for Saturday against Aston
Villa, however against Milan, fingers crossed, I will be fine.'
PA Sport
