Considering the gulf in class between Arsenal and Manchester City in relation to the final standings last term, the fact that Arsene Wenger has revealed his frustrations about only netting a point with the Etihad Stadium outfit speaks volumes about the progress the Gunners are making. Wenger claims that while he was happy to go back with a draw, he was still a little annoyed that his team couldn’t finish the defending champions off.
Even though Arsenal fell behind to a Joleon Lescott goal in the 40th minute, the team kept on fighting and deservedly got an equaliser in the latter stages of the game thanks to Laurent Koscielny. However, before and after that goal were a host of missed opportunities, with Gervinho usually being the main culprit. The Ivory Coast striker spurned a host of decent opportunities, which left Wenger ruing what might have been at the end of the match.
Speaking to the media, the Frenchman said, “I hope this game will reinforce our belief and confidence – and reassure us about our potential in this league. I’m pleased because this result was the minimum we deserved. I’m pleased as well with the quality of our performance and the spirit. I’m a bit frustrated as there was room for more and we had other chances, such as Gervinho’s on the edge of the box which missed the goal.”
Nevertheless, the draw still provides the Gunners with an excellent start to the campaign, with the team currently sat in 5th position. Even though the club have already drawn three games this term, they are at least proving much more difficult to beat and many have credited Steve Bould for adding extra “steel” to the team. Of course, the next big test comes in the form of the current league leaders, with Chelsea set to arrive at the Emirates Stadium next week.