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Arsene Wenger pleased with Arsenal's 'attitude and determination' as they bounced back with point at Chelsea

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Stoke and 4-0 at Liverpool but dug in, worked hard, and had the better chances to grab a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge on Sunday 

Jack Pitt-Brooke
Stamford Bridge
Sunday 17 September 2017 16:46 BST
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Arsene Wenger was pleased with his side's performance
Arsene Wenger was pleased with his side's performance

Arsene Wenger was delighted with Arsenal’s battling 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, which he saw as the perfect response to their away defeats at Stoke City and Liverpool.

Arsenal lost 1-0 at Stoke and 4-0 at Liverpool but here they dug in, worked hard, and had the better chances to win.

Wenger was pleased that his players, whose focus and commitment is often questioned, answered their critics like this. “I felt that it was a game with total intensity, two teams going for it and battles all over the pitch,” Wenger said. “We responded well, in domains where we were questioned. I like when the team shows that kind of response.”

Alexandre Lacazette and Danny Welbeck missed Arsenal’s best chances and Wenger acknowledged that his team could have won. “Overall we deserved the point, with more freedom and less inhibition we could have won by one or two goals’ difference. But it was important not to lose today. I felt that in the team in the last 20 minutes, and we played with that in our minds.“

For Wenger, the solid away performance – something that Arsenal have produced very few of recently – was worth more than the point itself. “People forget that we beat Chelsea in the cup final two months ago, we have shown that quality many times,” he said.

“When you deliver the kind of performance we had at Liverpool, you have to accept the criticism. You can only respond on the pitch, and we did that today. Today was a question of what would happen. With the attitude and determination, it was vital for us to come out with a solid performance. We did that.”

Wenger confirmed that Danny Welbeck, who went off injured in the second half, has suffered a groin problem that will not “easy” to resolve.

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