Wenger – Newcastle will give you a big game, but Arsenal will win

Arsene Wenger is preparing for Arsenal’s Monday night meeting with Newcastle, and he is confident that the Gunners will win if they carry on playing at their excellent recent level of performances.

He was asked if he was surprised that Alan Pardew’s side are challenging for the European positions this season, and he is, and he isn’t!

“You could say that I am surprised if you look purely at the number of points they have. They were not expected there,” Wenger said.

“They have bought very well in a very efficient way. Some players have made a name now who were completely unknown at the start of the season.

“Therefore when you look at their quality it is not surprising they are where they are.”

“Newcastle lost Andy Carroll last year and they were searching for a striker, so credit to them for signing Ba and Cisse. Also Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa are good business for them. That’s why they are where they are.”

“They are a team everyone knows will give you a big game, but what is important is our own performance,” he said.

“We cannot be obsessed by Newcastle. If we turn up with a good performance we will win the game. That is what is at stake: to keep up our run and keep our focus.”

Yes it is certainly important (or even crucial) that Arsenal take the three points to pull away from our opponents, especially if our noisy neighbours get beaten at Everton today!