With Arsene Wenger experimenting with a 3-5-2 formation for the first time in nearly 20 years, the North London club were expected to at least surprise Middlesbrough but familiar shades mediocrity shone the brightest under the boring sky by the Tees.
"I felt that when we scored we had Arsenal on the back foot and at that point we just needed the ball to fall to us". "We let them have the ball a bit more than we're used to".
The 67-year-old began with a central defensive trio for the first time since 1997 in an effort to enhance his team's confidence - and it paid dividends as the Gunners kept alive their Champions League qualification hopes. The display on Teeside was a far cry from the one which accompanied the 3-0 loss at Crystal Palace, leaving Wenger to conclude that his side's psychological demons have been conquered.
"I feel we're in a position where we want to perform".
So if the Boro supporters can stay positive when they are in such a precarious position, why can't the travelling Arsenal fans get behind the team and spur them on to the three points, instead of booing our own players and swearing at the manager?
On Ramirez, he added: "He's massively important because he's a really talented footballer and we've seen evidence of that on numerous occasions this season". Against Palace we had 70 percent possession but lost.
Pence, headed to Japan, turns focus to trade with key ally
The official made a passing swipe at Trump and his administration, referring to him not as the President but as a "businessman". That's a marked departure from the Obama administration's policy of "strategic patience" with North Korea.
"You could see we were not playing with full confidence during some moments but overall we wanted to win", Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told broadcaster Sky Sports.
Boro boss Steve Agnew was hugely frustrated to take nothing from the match, but insisted that his players showed they have a chance of surviving, despite the six-point gap between them and safety.
"The end of the season will come very quickly and it is up to us to finish strongly".
"We are bitterly disappointed with the result, but the players gave everything they had". We need a win and I'm confident we'll get it. They played with such an intensity, I couldn't ask any more of them.
"This group don't know how to give in".
Comments