Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger marvelled at his side’s inner strength after the Gunners’ inched another step closer to the Premiership title with a 0-0 draw against Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Wenger’s champions-in-waiting extended their unbeaten run in the league to 32 games this season and their advantage over second-placed Chelsea to seven points with six matches to go.
The result left Newcastle level on points with Liverpool, their main obstacle to reserving a place in the Champions League next season.
After a gruelling week that saw Arsenal crash out of the Champions League, Wenger hailed his team’s performance.
”My players responded marvellously — they showed great mental strength.
”We’re in a good position but we are not big enough to say we feel comfortable — we want to extend our lead and now have six games left.”
He added: ”We had three good chances to score but the difficult pitch played its part.”
His Newcastle counterpart, Bobby Robson, laughed when it was put to him that Wenger thought Arsenal may have just deserved to take the three points.
”Arsene always thinks that!” he said before acclaiming the Gunners’ spotless Premiership run.
”It’s an amazing achievement to be unbeaten,” he said, adding that he felt his young side are not a million miles away from standing shoulder to shoulder with Arsenal.
”Arsenal are where we want to be, but on the evidence of what we have already we’re not far behind. What we need is investment to get where they are.”
The former England manager hailed ”a stirring contest”.
”There was hardly anything between the two sides. No one made any mistakes — there were no free presents here today.
”There was a big battle in midfield, and the defenders were on top of the attackers, nullifing any shots.
”We’ve shown resilience and character after a lot of football this week.”
Robson picked an identical team to the one that drew 1-1 with PSV Eindhoven in the Uefa Cup on Thursday with one exception, Andy O’Brien coming on for Titus Bramble.
Wenger made three changes from the side that blew away Liverpool on Friday, with Freddie Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires giving way to Sylvain Wiltord, Brazilian Edu and Jose Antonio Reyes.
A largely scrappy first period offered up only the occasional chance — one coming early on for Newcastle when Alan Shearer crossed to Gary Speed whose back-heeled shot was only denied by Jens Lehmann’s outstretched fingertips.
Reyes then set up Thierry Henry, who was playing after shrugging off a back problem, for a curling right-footed shot from 18m, the ball edging wide of the right post.
Despite dominating possession, Arsenal’s opportunities were few and far between, with the best coming from Wiltord as half-time beckoned.
The France international, returning after a lengthy lay-off, pounced on Jermaine Jenas’s attempt to get the ball back to ‘keeper Shay Given but his dangerous left-footed shot from the penalty area going wide of the right post.
Laurent Robert had a free kick fly past the Arsenal wall only to be saved by a diving Lehmann in the 50th minute.
In a one-on-one with Given, Henry deftly sidestepped the onrushing Newcastle keeper but despite an open goal his shot from the right hit the woodwork.
Shortly after the French ace crossed from the right but Reyes’s header in front of goal was a lame effort directed straight at Given.
Both managers made late tactical changes in an attempt to break the deadlock with on Arsenal’s side Pires coming on for Wiltord and Bergkamp replacing Reyes with less than quarter of an hour left.
But the tinkerings were to no avail and both teams wll have been happy with a share of the points. — Sapa-AFP