Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is struggling to find a gap
in the fixture list to give Olivier Giroud a much-needed rest, after
conceding his squad is "lightweight" and relies on the physical input
provided by his French goal striker.
With the much-maligned Nicklas Bendtner acting as Giroud’s back-up in
an Arsenal squad lacking out-and-out hit-men, Wenger’s lead marksman has
taken on a huge workload by playing in virtually every game so far this
season.
However, fatigue does not seem to be an issue for Giroud right now,
after he headed the Gunners winner in their vital win at Newcastle on
Sunday, inspiring Wenger to suggest the striker has emerged as the key
figure in table topping Arsenal’s impressive form this season.
"We have a team that is a bit short, lightweight and more focused on
mobility and technical movement, so he [Giroud] is the one guy who has
that strength and structure for us," stated Wenger. "That fighting up
front is very important for us.
"I think about giving him a rest, but he is important for the team. He
has these physical qualities and that is, of course, very important for
the team."
Wenger went on to hail the "special" qualities in his team, as their
1-0 win at Newcastle cemented their positions as the top points scorers
in the Premier league during 2013.
"There is something in the team that is special on the mental front where we have many times been questioned," he continued.
"We have shown that at West Ham when we were 1-0 down and ended up
winning 3-1 on Boxing Day, we have shown that again today when we were a
bit backs to the wall in the last 15 minutes. There’s a great
solidarity and a great spirit in the side.
"For years we were younger and less able to resist this kind of
pressure but we have always been up there at the top. If you analyse
well our results we have always been up there. Last year in this period
we were out of the title race but 2013 we have been quite consistent."
Wenger has changed his rhetoric in recent days to suggest his side
deserve to be considered as genuine title contenders despite many a
pundit suspecting they do not have what it takes to last the pace in a
gruelling Premier League campaign and he repeated those sentiments after
Arsenal’s win at St James’ Park.
"We had a big physical challenge from Newcastle, but I felt we showed a
technical aspect and a mental aspect that was needed in a game of that
stature," he added. "This team had our backs to the wall in the last 15
minutes [against Newcastle], but we are showing what we are capable of.
"We believe in ourselves and we are determined to give our best
absolutely and to turn back on this season at the end and think we have
given our best. I hope it will be enough of course but it’s a long way
to go and it’s still too early to say that."
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