Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has promised that his team will not play for a draw in Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal second-leg clash against Villarreal.
Wenger’s team battled out a valuable 1-1 draw in Spain last Tuesday, and therefore a 0-0 scoreline would be enough to put them into the semis on the away goals rule.
On Monday, however, the veteran French manager insisted that his team would be playing for a win, not for a draw.
”We know we are in a situation where we don’t want to be tentative at all,” he told Arsenal’s official website.
”We want to be decisive but you can only do that if you decide to play in a very positive way.
”I don’t believe that we are a team who can play for 0-0, that’s not our natural way.
”I don’t expect any weaknesses from them. I expect some strength from us to say: ‘Listen, we have the opportunity to get to the semifinals, let’s take it’.
”I am confident we will and we have the quality needed to do that but you know that they can be dangerous as well.” Arsenal edged out Villarreal in the 2006 semifinals, and have a good record against Spanish teams.
The Gunners will go into the Emirates clash in good heart after the draw in Villarreal — and after Saturday’s 4-1 romp away to Wigan.
Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor are now completely fit and back to form.
In stark contrast, Villarreal are in poor form and plagued by injuries.
Key midfielders Santi Cazorla and Marcos Senna — both of whom helped Spain to glory at Euro 2008 — will both be missing through injury.
On Saturday the Yellow Submarine sank 2-0 at home against Malaga, and have now lost fourth place in La Liga to local rivals Valencia.
On Monday coach Manuel Pellegrini — a man on the wanted list of Real Madrid and other big clubs — admitted that Cazorla and Senna ”will be missed”.
However, he added that ”we have other players ready for this kind of game”.
The injuries to Cazorla and Senna could open the door for reserve midfielders Cani and Matias Fernandez.
Pellegrini added that ”we will go there to play our own game … To win away from home always has something special about it and we went through that in Greece [against Panathinaikos in the round of 16]”. — Sapa-dpa