Arsene Wenger explains tactical masterplan that drove Arsenal to victory against Tottenham
The Frenchman's side put in an assertive display to beat their north London rivals 2-0 at the Emirates on Saturday
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsene Wenger says one of the big reasons Arsenal so comprehensively beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 on Saturday was because of the defensive contribution of his forwards, and how they relentlessly pressed Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
“That is where the change was,” the Arsenal boss said after the game. Wenger opted against playing a traditional defensive midfielder, something that initially seemed to play into Spurs’ hands, but his front three of Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Alexandre Lacazette ensured that was not necessary with their brilliant display of pressing.
That may have also come from the extra focus of the side, as the 68-year-old said their motivation for the derby was palpable in the dressing room before the game.
“We are an offensive team but we need to keep the balance right,” Wenger said of his midfield, that notionally had Aaron Ramsey as a defensive midfielder.
“We need of course the strikers to contribute, to defend. I believe that is where the change was today. They defended very well from the front.
“You feel that the intensity was there straight away… I think experience helps them because I think too much intensity and focus can inhibit, so as well to tell them ‘come on’. When you know the team, you can balance a little bit what you feel.
“Or to relax a little bit more, or to calm a bit more down. Or sometimes you have to push, but in situations like that you can feel the concentration is there, yes.”
Asked what a win in the derby means to him after all these years - although this was his first against Pochettino in the league - Wenger said: “Look, the longer you are somewhere, the more guilty you feel if it doesn’t go well.
“That’s the negative side of being a long time somewhere, you know what it means to people. But overall, we are still in November.
“I am more focused on the future of this team, how far can we go? How much can we push on? What can we take from the game today and transfer into our next games for the rest of the season?
“But of course you know what it means for your fans so at least you think it was a positive day for them.”
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