Arsenal's current firepower outguns the 'Invincible' side of 2003/04, says Arsene Wenger
Now that Danny Welbeck has returned from injury, Wenger has nine attacking players to choose from for four places in the Arsenal line-up
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Arsene Wenger once had Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp as part of his Invincibles attack but he believes his firepower in 2017 is the best he has ever had in 21 years with the North Londoners.
The Arsenal manager faces a conundrum now that Danny Welbeck has returned from injury to compete with Alexis Sanchez, Lucas Perez, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mesut Ozil, Olivier Giroud and Alex Iwobi for four places in the line-up.
Wenger had so many forward options he was prompted to make his startling claim that he was far happier with that side of Arsenal’s game than he was in 2003-04 when they went the entire season unbeaten to win the Premier League.
“Yes. I think certainly numbers wise and quality wise together,” said Wenger when asked if it was his best attacking until ever.
“We had never so many players who could perform and score goals – certainly never.
“Bergkamp and Henry had the quality but we did not have a large number. We had Sylvain Wiltord and Robert Pires as well so it was not bad.
“I don’t know how to manage them. I think it is to make the decision for the next game that you think is the right one.
“Sometimes you consider the problem you face, sometimes you consider the fitness of the players, the fact that for example they have played three day before, have they recovered or not.
“You just try to be honest in your decision and keep everybody on board.”
Welbeck scored twice in the 5-0 FA Cup win at Southampton on Saturday on his first start of the season making Wenger one of the few managers happy that there are plenty of games in the Premier League, cup and Champions League to rotate his attack.
“It helps playing so many games and it is important to stay in all the competition,” he said.
“If you have one game every week and you have several strikers, I wish you good luck to keep them happy.
“It is impossible. People always want you to buy more. And after when you have them they say ‘how do you keep them happy now?’
“They all get annoyed. They have a different way to show it. It is part of their job as well.
“But they are all committed to the club. For example, at the start of the season I bought Perez who for me is a very good player.
“But why? Because Welbeck was out until now basically and I didn’t know how it would take.
“No doctor can tell you it is March or January.
“He was ahead of schedule so after sometimes you have a congestion there as some players come back quicker than expected. But when you make the decision to buy, you don’t know.”
Wenger wants to avoid a repeat of the narrow 2-1 win over Burnley and beat Watford more comfortably at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
“It’s always difficult games in the Premier League,” he said. “We have experienced that recently against Burnley again. I think our attitude is spot on and we are ready to fight.”
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