Wenger On Top Three & Manchester United

Manager Arsene Wenger has said that a top three finish for Arsenal this season would show progress, and he believes another win at Old Trafford would be a statement of intent when it came to our ambitions for 2015-16.

Audio – Wenger On Top Three Aim

In a few interviews carried by the Official Site ahead of this weekend’s match against Louis van Gaal’s boys, Wenger talked about the aim of finishing in the top three.

‘Yes of course I have seen enough to think we can challenge but that’s what is at stake until the end of the season, to show that we can be stronger next year. We feel we have made progress, but we have a good opportunity to show that on Sunday because in every game that is questioned. Only one thing shows you have made progress and that is the continuity in your performances, and that you have a good level of cohesion. I believe as well that the way we respond to our disappointment on Monday night is a big indication of how strong we are.’

Looking to bounce back from the disappointing and somewhat unexpected loss to Swansea in the last game, Wenger also went on to say that gaining automatic qualification to the Champions League does make your summer move more comfortably because you lose the ‘stress’ of trying to rush fitness work to be in good shape for the early Champions League qualifier.

Especially with a number of international fixtures this summer, players will need an extended break and probably won’t be at 100% for the start of the campaign, let alone an early competitive start to pre season.

Moving more specifically to the game against Manchester United, having already taken victory at Old Trafford in the FA Cup quarter final tie, Wenger went on to say that victory again would be a very ‘symbolic statement’ of intent from Arsenal moving forward.

‘First of all we can mathematically put a distance between them and us in the top four and basically secure the top three. Also, we can make a symbolic statement because we won over there in the FA Cup. To reproduce that would be psychologically important. To do it again would convince us more that we have the strength and can be even stronger next season and show that we have made progress. In the recent years it was a difficult ground for us and that is what we want to show: that we have made progress.’

Wenger went on to say the aim would be to go to a ‘great stadium’ and play good football, entertain the fans and come away with another ‘good, fantastic’ memory to further offset the ‘very bad memories’ we have had over the years against this particular opposition.

‘Since January we have produced consistent performances and we have also been very strong away from home. We have an opportunity to show that we have made progress. Any result will be a positive result. A draw or a win would be great for us.’