Wenger: We’ll bounce back from Baggies defeat
PARTIZAN BELGRADE VS ARSENAL
ARSENE WENGER insists his Arsenal side can recover from their Premier League hangover and continue their charge in Europe tonight.
The Gunners suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday when they went down to a shock 3-2 home defeat by West Brom.
Wenger offered no excuses, instead lambasting his side’s abject display and promising an inquest.
Now, he is backing the Gunners to bounce back in the Champions League at Partizan Belgrade tonight – and add to their 6-0 opening game mauling of Braga a fortnight ago.
“The disappointment was very deep, but we can learn from what has happened to us,” Wenger said.
“We realise that we need to be focused in every single game, produce performances in every single game and that is what I believe we have learnt from Saturday.
“I believe in the intelligence of my group players and I have no doubt in their talents. We will be highly motivated and will try to redress what was not right on Saturday.”
Wenger is also backing understudy Lukasz Fabianski to take his first-team chance with both hands in Belgrade.
The Pole will take the goalkeeper’s gloves from Manuel Almunia, who was heavily criticised for a number of errors against the Baggies. The Spaniard has an ankle injury.
“For Fabianski, it is another big chance,” Wenger added. “But you want a goalkeeper or any player to grab the chance when you get it.
“As a manager you can give a chance to a player who is good enough and I believe in his talent. He gets another opportunity to show how good he is. I want him to show how good he is.”
Partizan lost their opener 1-0 to Shakhtar Donestk, but Wenger warned: “They are intelligent, with a good technique and if you give them room they are always dangerous.”