UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says they need a great performance against new Premier League champions Manchester United
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838449
UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says they need a great performance against new Premier League champions Manchester United
- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says they need a great performance against new Premier League champions Manchester United
- Date: 26th April 2013
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (APRIL 26, 2013) (REUTERS) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER, SPEAKING ABOUT MANCHESTER UNITED WINNING THE PREMIER LEAGUE, SAYING: "It's difficult to assess because they won it in a discreet but secure way and they have been quietly efficient you know, and the most consistent in the league and they had 27 wins, that is quite impressive. They have been remarkable, especially at home and what they always are at Old Trafford, they always have a very good record and so they won it in a convincing way." JOURNALIST TYPING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER SPEAKING ABOUT PLAYING MANCHESTER UNITED, SAYING: "I am looking forward to our performance on Sunday, you know, it's more than anything else, you focus on your own team and it's an interesting opportunity for us and to achieve something special on Sunday and we want of course to take this opportunity." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER SPEAKING ABOUT MANCHESTER UNITED, SAYING: "I expect them to come and try to play their game and win the game like they always do when they come to the Emirates and we only can focus on our own performance and we are on this very strong run in the last 10 games and we have a good level of confidence, we have a great desire and it's a good opportunity to show for us that we have moved forward in this league since we played them last time at Old Trafford what I think we have but that's a good opportunity to show that." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER SPEAKING ABOUT MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER ROBIN VAN PERSIE, SAYING: "I can only reiterate that I want the player to be respected like everybody else and I've always said that for every single player who left, even some of them in much more controversy than Robin Van Persie." ARSENAL LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARSENAL MANAGER ARSENE WENGER SAYING: "As you say, they can relax but it's very difficult to know that, what we know is no matter in what state Man United will be we need a great performance to beat them and that's what we focus on."
- Embargoed: 11th May 2013 13:00
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- Topics: Sports
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- Story Text: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Friday (April 26) paid tribute to Manchester United ahead of Sunday's match against the new Premier League champions.
"It's difficult to assess because they won it in a discreet but secure way and they have been quietly efficient you know, and the most consistent in the league and they had 27 wins, that is quite impressive," Wenger told a news conference in London on Friday (April 26).
"They have been remarkable, especially at home and what they always are at Old Trafford, they always have a very good record and so they won it in a convincing way," Wenger added.
Arsenal, chasing a Champions League spot, are third in the table on 63 points, one ahead of Chelsea and two clear of Tottenham Hotspur, but have played a game more than their London rivals.
Wenger believes his side can achieve something special against United at the Emirates stadium in London.
"It's an interesting opportunity for us and to achieve something special on Sunday," Wenger said.
United secured their 20th league title with a 3-0 win over Aston Villa on Monday (April 22), all three goals coming from former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, but Arsenal are confident they can put on a good performance.
"I expect them to come and try to play their game and win the game like they always do when they come to the Emirates. We are on this very strong run in the last 10 games and we have a good level of confidence, we have a great desire and it's a good opportunity to show for us that we have moved forward in this league since we played them last time at Old Trafford," added the French manager, referring to his side's 2-1 defeat in Manchester in November.
The Gunners will be without striker Olivier Giroud who starts a three-game suspension after losing his appeal against his red card during last weekend's win at Fulham.
van Persie returns to the Emirates after his close season transfer to Old Trafford and Wenger hopes the crowd will show respect to the Dutchman.
"I want the player to be respected like everybody else and I've always said that for every single player who left (here), even some of them in much more controversy than Robin van Persie."
Speaking about the 10-match ban imposed on Liverpool striker Luis Suarez for biting an opponent, Wenger thinks the Uruguayan's previous record of punishments for disciplinary problems influenced the penalty.
Suarez, Liverpool's top scorer this season, was banned by the FA for biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic during a Premier League match on Sunday (April 21). Suarez escaped a red card for the incident and went on to score a last minute equaliser for Liverpool.
"The proportionality looks very, very severe considering what other players have been punished for. I think what is completely against Suarez is his history, that is very heavy on the offence front and that is why he has been punished so severely, that's the only explanation I can find," said Wenger.
Suarez, who accepted the FA's charge of violent conduct, apologised to Serbian Ivanovic and was fined by Liverpool earlier in the week.
The 26-year-old was banned for eight matches last season for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra and received a seven-game ban from the Dutch FA for biting an opponent while playing for Ajax Amsterdam in 2010 shortly before he joined Liverpool. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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