Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger urged the club's fans to return and support the team after a sizeable number stayed away from the 2-0 victory over West Brom. The Gunners reported that a total of 59,568 tickets had been sold for the fixture but the large sections of empty seats were noticeable.
“My message would be come and support the team,” Wenger said. “If you love football, out there you see quality. But are we intelligent enough to know why everyone didn''t turn up?” the manager asked suggesting that the Thursday kick-off could have had an impact as much as the supporter apathy over Arsenal's recent performances.
“We dominated the game from the first minute to the last,” Wenger added. “The quality was good. We should have scored more but [at least] we didn''t concede. Maybe we didn''t finish the way we wanted. We came out of the West Ham and Palace games [both drawn] thinking we had quality but not the points we deserved. That is our regret.”
Wenger admitted that the early goal helped with the mood around the stadium. “Ideally, you want always to score early,” he said, “but it is difficult in the Premier League. There are top teams behind us. Just because Leicester are ahead of us people say we should have won the league but OK say that for everyone.
“For us, every point is key,” the manager added after his side returned to third in the league, four points ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United. “We are under permanent pressure in every single game. We want to finish as high as possible. There still can be twists and turns before the season ends. We give everything in every game.”
Wenger was delighted with Alexis Sanchez who scored both of Arsenal's goals. “He was top quality, especially in the fist half. In the second half he dropped a little but he was vital to us.”
The manager was also pleased with Alex Iwobi who had another excellent game. “He is improving game after game. He shows his quality and it is surprising. His consistency is surprising. Before, he had only played Youth football. Now he plays at this pace.”
Aaron Ramsey was pleased with the performance, feeling it was an improvement on their recent offerings. It was only the Gunners' third win in eight league games. “We played with a lot of belief and intensity,” the Arsenal midfielder said on Sky Sports, “and we made a lot of chances. We haven''t been at that standard of late and we needed that level of performance for us and our fans. We played with a real purpose. We have been frustrated with the way we have been playing but that is what we are capable of. It may be too little, too late but we keep going.”
West Brom''s manager Tony Pulis accepted defeat magnanimously. “I've no complaints,” he said. “We were beaten by the better team. My players have been fantastic for me but tonight they looked a bit leggy, a bit off the pace. We've been good against the better teams this season but not tonight. Credit to Arsenal.
“It's the first game I've managed on a Thursday night in England,” he added, “and I might just have got the preparation wrong as well. We're in the hands of TV but I may have to look at our planning.”
“There still can be twists and turns before the season ends. We give everything in every game.” - The Independent