tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27780697335362277302024-09-20T06:38:45.723-07:00about sports and entertainmenttips about sports and entertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13083034831364971382noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778069733536227730.post-20313000119673557682010-12-28T04:44:00.000-08:002010-12-28T04:44:57.832-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mLOMLuMYRuUbAwnFDrpAaaKpKn4hniyBvbsUFJ90Y7kDIHbuiwIqzdNAN9z86Tr8GGmc85fukOgZ_CY8xuLsoC_CZKhmSuMmuzibik7wr99F3auOMLOwQhvdOcnUXUDjLOgOC5En8jc/s1600/af.reuters.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mLOMLuMYRuUbAwnFDrpAaaKpKn4hniyBvbsUFJ90Y7kDIHbuiwIqzdNAN9z86Tr8GGmc85fukOgZ_CY8xuLsoC_CZKhmSuMmuzibik7wr99F3auOMLOwQhvdOcnUXUDjLOgOC5En8jc/s320/af.reuters.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="color: blue;"><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: blue; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC3IQUrhp8dsiJAayAh0PjcJCLEiXiKr3tZezcwvW1uLS3-XA9ac-lqfsJlEkJ6duAR704gzHvE4J-Dn70q1980HJAgtCq_Xp6Om5Wv705d6Dg5n9mix8NOOEUWEzSUXOyf7O_t8iEg4g/s1600/wenger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /> </a></div><div style="color: blue;"><b><span class="articleLocation">ONDON</span> (Reuters) - Arsenal's first victory over Chelsea for two years could have released the psychological handbrake which has slowed his side, manager Arsene Wenger hopes. <span id="midArticle_1"></span></b> </div><div style="color: blue;"><b>The comfortable 3-1 win on Monday stopped a run of five consecutive defeats against their London rivals and should fuel the Gunners with belief that they can push Manchester United hard for the title in the second half of the season.</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_2"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>"Two years ago, we were battered by Chelsea, last year we felt we were getting closer and this year at Chelsea and at Manchester United we came out more frustrated because we felt we were in the game and there was no real difference," Wenger told reporters.</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_3"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>"Maybe we played a bit with the handbrake. It was a slow learning process.</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_4"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>"(Cesc) Fabregas said maybe we were playing a bit scared to win. It was a strong word but maybe there was something in there, you didn't see that against Chelsea.</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_5"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>"We have a more mannish dimension to our team that's for sure. We are not bullied any more. People used to say that.</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_6"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>"I feel over the last two years we have matured but this championship is very difficult to predict and we have to prove that we can now be consistent."</b></div><b style="color: blue;"><span id="midArticle_7"></span></b> <div style="color: blue;"><b>Consistency has been Arsenal's problem this season with five defeats already and Wenger is aware that all the doubts could return if they under-perform at Wigan Athletic on Wednesday.</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: red;"><b>source:By Martyn Herman</b> </div>tips about sports and entertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13083034831364971382noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778069733536227730.post-67932178602814588132010-12-24T08:25:00.000-08:002010-12-24T08:25:06.367-08:00<div style="text-align: justify;">Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was relieved on Thursday that a wobbly home record had not been more costly and Chelsea captain John Terry was glad his team were still in the Premier League title race despite a lack of depth.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The season has so far been very forgiving as just three points separate the top four, with unbeaten Manchester United on 34 points, two ahead of Arsenal and Manchester City, and Chelsea in fourth on 31.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">A busy festive schedule could shake things up and Chelsea travel to Arsenal on Monday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The good news is that we are in a good position and we have not paid a high price for that (three home defeats and five in total) but of course our home form in the second part of the season will be the decider," Wenger told a news conference.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">He gets the chance to put that drive for improved form at the Emirates into practice against Chelsea, another team counting their blessings after escaping stiffer punishment for poor results.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The champions, whose season started promisingly with 21 goals in five consecutive victories, have imploded with no wins in their last five league games and have found their squad under pressure with injuries to the likes of midfielders Frank Lampard and Michael Essien and Terry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"In the past we had a big squad and could rotate and put other players in, we don't have that now, we have quite a young squad and it's a time for everyone to stay together like we always will," Terry said on the club website (www.chelseafc.com).</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Once we've turned that corner we can move on from there and wait for other teams to slip up which they will do.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"We've missed some key players at key times and it is a case of keeping everyone fit now over the Christmas period where we have two games in three days."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Hectic list </strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A hectic Christmas and New Year fixtures list gives some clubs four games in little over a week, meaning there could finally be some daylight between the top sides soon -- something that was not lost on United manager Alex Ferguson.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"If we are still top of the league by January 4 then we will have done well," he told a news conference.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"By that time the top of the league will have taken shape. Depending on the weather of course, we could have a lot of postponements yet." Heavy snow and freezing temperatures have led to two of United's league matches being postponed this month. While they would have preferred to play them, last Sunday's postponement of their match at Chelsea was good timing as several United players were suffering with flu.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ferguson was optimistic Nemanja Vidic, Nani, Anderson and Michael Carrick, who were laid low with the bug, will have recovered in time for Sunday's match at home to Sunderland.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Winger Nani may have been ill but he found time to irk Arsenal by ruling out the Londoners as title contenders.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I no longer see anybody winning the Premier League this season outside of Manchester United or Chelsea. Hopefully, it will be United," local media quoted him as saying on Thursday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Wenger poured cold water on the Portugal player's view.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I personally don't know who will win the league and I've managed 1,600 games," he said. "So if Nani knows, he must be 1,600 times more intelligent than I am." Pull Quote: The good news is that we are in a good position and we have not paid a high price for that (three home defeats and five in total)</div>tips about sports and entertainmenthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13083034831364971382noreply@blogger.com0