Arsene Wenger hoping for improved performance after Arsenal leave it late to defeat managerless Crystal Palace

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For a man obsessed with preparation and time-keeping, Arsene Wenger and his team are developing a habit of leaving it all to the last minute.

On Saturday they relied on Aaron Ramsey to rescue them in the final seconds of their opening Barclays Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.

On Monday, after a chaotic mix-up involving the Turkish airport authorities, Arsene Wenger arrived in Istanbul for their Champions League qualifier against Besiktas way behind schedule.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Ramsey and Monreal get their ears flicked during training 

Optimistic: Arsene Wenger wants his side to put on a better display than they did against Palace

Team talk: Wenger speaks with his players ahead of their Champions league clash against Besiktas

Wenger was still fuming about their performance against Palace, frustrated by their failure to put away the opposition long before Ramsey’s winner. He is demanding an improvement on Tuesday evening.

‘We were not completely happy with our performance last Saturday and we want to improve,’ he said.

‘It is a big test. We have had a short preparation and we know that in one week we have three big games with Besiktas home and away and Everton in between. We have to be on our toes.’

Arsenal were sluggish on Saturday, confronted by unusual circumstances after Tony Pulis decided to leave Palace just 48 hours before the season began.

The bright spot was the performance of Calum Chambers and he will make his Champions League bow alongside Laurent Koscielny in hostile surroundings. Wenger believes he is ready.

Comeback kings: Arsenal pulled it back to claim all three points against Crystal palace at the weekend

Good performance: Wenger was pleased with the performance of Arsenal new boy Calum Chamers (pictured)

‘He won’t play the full season as he is only 19, but he had adapted very well,’ added Wenger. ‘At the moment he is growing with every game and resisting the pressure. He’s adapting to a new position.’

Here in Istanbul, Arsenal are on familiar territory, accustomed to playing a Champions League qualifier before the action starts for real in the group stages next month. They have made it for the past 16 years.

‘I have good experience of the Champions League,’ added Wenger. ‘I know you have to be pragmatic, but first we have to qualify. Before we can speak about anything else we have to put in two big performances against Besiktas.

‘I let people judge what I do. All I can do is my best every day and accept the verdict. I’m in a public job so I accept it.

‘Financially it is a big game, but it doesn’t affect my transfer policy. We want to compete at the top level and to fight with the best in Europe. That’s the point of the competition.’

Wenger’s eyes always light up when he speaks of the Champions League and last night, inside the Ataturk Olympic Stadium, was no different. He is obsessed with the idea of winning it.

‘Every game we win makes us stronger and that will give us confidence,’ added Wenger.

To live with Besiktas, who beat Feyenoord 5-2 in the previous round, Arsenal will be forced to make changes following injuries to Kieran Gibbs and Yaya Sanogo. Both are nursing hamstring injuries and have been left behind.

‘Gibbs will be out for three to four weeks and Sanogo wasn’t comfortable enough to travel,’ said Wenger. Mathieu Flamini, who missed Saturday’s league opener at the Emirates through illness, returns to the squad.

Big threat: Arsenal will have to keep former Chelsea striker Demba Ba quiet if they are to progress

It is a compelling tie, coming up against a manager who was once the coolest kid in town when he was managing Croatia.

Slaven Bilic’s career as a coach has never quite hit the same heights, but he is a popular and combustible character on the touchline.

They are no slouches and Demba Ba, the striker acquired from Chelsea in the summer, scored a hat-trick in the second leg of their 3-1 victory over Feyenoord here in Istanbul. ‘We have a dream to make it all happen,’ admitted Bilic.

‘We have respect for our opponents because they are one of the strongest teams in Europe.’

Over two legs, they will also need to be the most stubborn.

VIDEO Wenger lauds late Ramsey goal