Agence France-Presse
Southampton, Dec 25: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Thursday that his players must maintain the standards they set against Manchester City if they are to keep pace in the Premier League title race.
Monday’s 2-1 victory over third-place City moved Wenger’s side to within two points of leaders Leicester City and they can consolidate that position when they travel Saturday to face Southampton.
The Frenchman claimed the performance against Manuel Pellegrini’s side confirmed the growing belief in his team after a season marred by inconsistency. He has challenged his players to match the levels they set in beating City and confirm their credentials as a team capable of sustaining their title challenge.
“It was an important win for us, but we already had a good confidence level,” Wenger said. “To win these sorts of game, you need to believe you can do it. Overall what came out of the game was a strong team attitude and team effort. Everybody put hard work into the game.
“I believe for us, the most important thing is to focus on ourselves. We need not speculate too much on any weaknesses of Southampton. We have to convince ourselves that we again need another top-level performance,” the Frenchman added.
The form of Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud and the resurgence of Theo Walcott, have strengthened belief that Arsenal can end their 12-year wait for the title, but Wenger stated that nothing can be taken for granted.
“We have had quite a positive year and stabilised our defensive plans and improved our record against the strong teams in the Premier League, so it looks like we are on the right train going the right way,” he said.
“It’s down to being pragmatic, putting the effort in to win your next game. At the moment, it’s miles too early to say who will win the Premier League. We’ve played 17 games – we’re not even at half-way,” added Wenger.