Manager Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal are not about to abandon their free flowing style on the back of grinding out victory at Manchester City, but wants to keep his side "defensively strong".
The manner of the 2-0 win last Sunday, when Wenger had deployed Francis Coquelin as a holding midfielder in a 4-1-4-1 formation, drew great praise as Arsenal finally passed a test of character away against one of the Premier League leading sides.
However, as he prepares to take Arsenal to Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the FA Cup, Wenger sees no reason why the right balance cannot be found between all out attack and a determined rearguard display.
“I go from too romantic to too pragmatic,” the French coach said.
“We are not going to change our style. Of course we want to be defensively strong, but we want to play.”
Wenger accepts given Arsenal’s recent shortcomings against their top four rivals his team were determined not to get over-run once more, having been taken apart 6-3 at City last season, then 5-1 at Liverpool and 6-0 by Chelsea.
“We knew that it was important for us to be a bit more cautious. We wanted to be a bit more reassured,” said Wenger.
“Last year we conceded many goals in big games, so maybe we were a bit more focused on defending well together, but it is not the basics or philosophy of our game,” he added, saying that the attacking style would “always remain”.
Wenger feels the make up of City’s side also allowed for Arsenal to profit from a less-than-dynamic approach in which they had just over 35 per cent possession.
“They had a team that was organised to defend well with Fernando, Fernandinho and (James) Milner from the start, so for us it was more difficult to keep the ball as much as we usually can,” said the Arsenal manager.
“With Yaya Toure they are certainly more dangerous going forward, but certainly less focused on defending, so the game would have been more open if Toure and (Samir) Nasri had been here.”
The likes of Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil could both start against Brighton following their comeback from injuries.
England forward Danny Welbeck, however, remains out with a thigh problem, while midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (groin) and defender Hector Bellerin (ankle) face fitness tests.
Wenger must also choose between goalkeepers Wojciech Szczesny and David Ospina.
Poland international Szczesny has not featured since the 2-0 defeat at Southampton on New Year’s Day, after which he was reported to have been smoking in the showers.
Wenger insisted the decision to retain Ospina for the two Premier League matches following the FA Cup third-round tie against Hull City was not down to disciplinary reasons.
“Am I tempted to use my first-choice goalkeeper? I haven’t made that decision,” Wenger said.
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
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