Defiant defender Gael Clichy admits the title pressure is
suddenly on his Arsenal side after their defeat at
Middlesbrough.
The Frenchman believes however that the Gunners will respond well
against Chelsea on Sunday despite their injury problems.
Having only drawn at struggling Newcastle last Wednesday, Arsène
Wenger's team saw their lead at the top of the Premier League cut
to one point by a dismal 2-1 reverse at the Riverside
Stadium.
With Chelsea due to visit on Sunday - and champions Manchester
United playing at Liverpool the same day - it is the wrong time for
Arsenal to lose their way.
But Clichy believes his side will relish the battle and hopes they
will be able to recover some of their injured stars before Avram
Grant's in-form side arrive.
He told the club's official website www.arsenal.com: "We knew the
gap could have been six points if we had won against Newcastle.
That was our first disappointment.
"But if you look at the game, one point wasn't a bad result in the
end. If we had won at Middlesbrough it would have been
perfect.
"Now the gap has closed and we have to make something good against
Chelsea because the pressure is on. We like the pressure but it
would have been different with a win at Middlesbrough.
"It's a big week. That's why I'm saying it would be good if we
could get all the players back from injury. I think we missed
something at Middlesbrough."
Mathieu Flamini, who has missed four of the last five games with a
thigh injury, and Abou Diaby who has been out for six with back
trouble, could both be back against Chelsea and striker Robin van
Persie could be fit enough after 12 games absent with knee damage
could make the bench.
But manager Wenger is more doubtful about the midfield axis of the
team - Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Alex Hleb (Achilles). Arsenal
have dropped five points in their last two games without those
two.
Clichy admits: "With Cesc, Robin, Alex and Mathieu in the side it
is very different. We still have the quality without those players
and so it's not an excuse but, of course, we look forward to them
coming back because with them we are stronger.
"I think everyone gave 100 per cent at Middlesbrough. It was just
the pitch, the fact everyone was a bit tired and we didn't play the
way we like to play.
"We have a strong squad and we are first (in the table) and we're
playing well without five star players. It was a bit unlucky but we
know with all these games we are going to get some injured players.
So we have to be focused now.
"All the games are big but of course Chelsea is a massive game.
Plus with only the one-point gap between ourselves and Manchester
United, and Chelsea only a few points away, we have to play a great
game.
"For me this game at Middlesbrough was a big game but we lost and
the gap is only one point. Now we are just looking forward to
Chelsea."
