Arsene Wenger has hailed Arsenal as they surged into a 4-0 lead after just 22 minutes against Crystal Palace on Saturday and won in the Premier League for the first time since December.
[ MORE: Mourinho update on Sanchez ]
Arsenal beat Palace 4-1 to move five points off the top four, despite all of their issues, as we were reminded how good they can be on their day when everything clicks.
With plenty of negativity around the Gunners heading into this game, plus Alexis Sanchez heading on his way to Manchester United amid growing criticism, Arsenal were fired up and delivered after five games without a win in all competitions.
Speaking after the game, Wenger was delighted with their first half display as several veterans returned to the starting lineup.
“We played our real game in the first half, good pace and good combination, created good chances” Wenger said. “In the second half the challenge was to keep the same drive and we didn’t manage to do that. Happy that we won the game. The speed of our game at the start was good. We are the only team to beat Palace in their last 12 games…. We know the challenge in front of us is very difficult, exciting as well but it will demand from us that we push ourselves in every single game. For 45 minutes our fans have seen some great football.”
Arsenal’s fans are growing increasingly excited that they will see some great finishing this season too.
Borussia Dortmund have announced that they’ve received a “first enquiry” from Arsenal for their star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Wenger was asked about a bid for the striker, which is reported to be around $61 million.
“No comment on that. They are responsible for their own statements. I can’t stand up for what they say. If we sign someone we will announce it,” Wenger said. “I half announce today Sanchez/Mkhitaryan because it’s likely to happen. The rest, we are not close at all to anything.”
Wenger was criticized by Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc earlier this week for not saying well, no too much on the pursuit of Aubameyang, who will presumably be a direct replacement for Sanchez, who didn’t play against Palace and is “heading up north” to seal his move to Man United with Henrik Mkhitaryan heading in the opposite direction.
“I don’t know what I said, I said nothing happens and I can’t comment on it, so I am quite surprised,” Wenger added. “It looks to be a tactical reaction rather than anything else because I didn’t say anything.”
Aubameyang has scored 13 goals in 15 games this season for Dortmund, but he has been left out of Dortmund’s last two squads for disciplinary reasons. On Friday, while his team drew 1-1 at Hertha Berlin, he played five-a-side with friends and wore a Dortmund shirt with Ousmane Dembele’s name on the back. Dembele was suspended in the summer by Dortmund after trying to push through a $130 million move to Barcelona, which eventually happened.
It seems like Aubameyang’s move is eventually going to happen too with Arsenal chasing the reigning Bundesliga top goalscorer who had 31 goals in 32 games last season, plus 141 in 212 total games for Dortmund over the past five seasons.
If Wenger can bring in Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan this January, plus keep hold of Jack Wilshere and Mesut Ozil, you’d have to say that is very good business for the Gunners as they aim to get the fans back on their side and push for a top four finish, the League Cup and a Europa League trophy in the final months of the season.
We all know Arsenal can blitz anyone when they’re on top of their game and Saturday gave us a timely reminder that despite all of the unrest around Wenger and his team, they’ve still got it. Big name arrivals may just save their season, too.
