Arsene Wenger lit the fuse on today’s explosive north London derby as the Arsenal manager warned Tottenham Hotspur that they will struggle to cope when Gareth Bale joins Real Madrid.
Bale is set to move to Madrid before the close of the transfer window on Monday evening, despite last-minute hitches taking the deal down to the wire, and Wenger is convinced the Wales winger’s departure will prove a major blow to Spurs.
Wenger, whose side pipped Tottenham in the race for the Champions League last season, has bitter experience of losing key players late in the window after being forced to sell Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie in recent years.
Photo: EPA
The Frenchman believes those star exits proved seriously destabilizing to his squad and he expects Tottenham to suffer in similar fashion, even though manager Andre Villas-Boas has already spent big in a bid to ensure his team can thrive without Bale.
“Yes, it is very difficult, of course. It has a negative impact when you lose your best players, always, because you are perceived as well by your fans [for] a lack of ambition, by the rest of the squad, they look for strength in their team,” Wenger said.
“We have gone through that process consistently and it demands of course always a mental adjustment, again, to keep your ambition alive. It is very, very difficult,” he added.
Villas-Boas has brought in Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Vlad Chiriches and Erik Lamela, with a move for Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen also in the pipeline.
However, Wenger suspects the spending spree may backfire because it will take time for Tottenham’s new players to adapt to the Premier League.
“I know all the players they have bought. For the rest, we will see how well they integrate and how well they will do,” Wenger said.
“In our job, there is always a technical risk when you buy more than three players, because you unbalance a little bit the stability of your squad. It is always difficult when you bring so many players in,” he added.
Villas-Boas has so far coped admirably despite the distraction of Bale’s impending departure and Tottenham have taken maximum points from their first two league matches.
The former Chelsea manager has taken encouragement from the way his players have blocked out all the talk about Bale and he is certain they can continue their 100 percent start today.
“We have the quality to go there and win,” he said. “I think we will set up to try to win the game and hopefully achieve the result we want.”
“It is a different type of proposition on Sunday [today], but it has special ingredients of a game that is unique in English football and full of emotion,” he added.
“The advantage Arsenal have is that they know each other very, very well. We have lots of new faces and still have to build our own style of play,” he said.
While Villas-Boas has been planning for life without Bale, Wenger has managed to steady the ship at Arsenal after the 3-1 opening day loss to Aston Villa.
The poisonous reaction from Arsenal fans to that defeat made life difficult for Wenger, but three successive victories have given him much-needed breathing space amid continued criticism of his failure to land a major signing since last season.
“I can understand that it is very interesting for people to read the newspapers and see who goes in and out, but there is only one thing that matters if you really love football and that is what happens on the pitch,” said Wenger, who could give a second debut to Mathieu Flamini following the French midfielder’s return to Arsenal on a free transfer.
“We will not panic buy, that is for sure. You can believe me. I think that is the most important — what happens on the pitch. We have a way to play, good players and let’s focus on that,” Wenger said.
US President Donald Trump’s granddaughter, Kai Trump, is poised to make her LPGA Tour debut after receiving a sponsor invitation on Tuesday to the Nov. 13 to 16 tournament at Pelican Golf Club in Florida. “My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the LPGA Tour,” Kai Trump said in a statement posted on the LPGA’s Web site. “This event will be an incredible experience,” she said. “I look forward [to] meeting and competing against so many of my heroes and mentors in golf as I make my LPGA Tour debut.” The 18-year-old high-school senior,
REACTION: Less than 24 hours after a 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays’ win ensured that the best-of-seven series is to head back to Toronto for Game 6 tomorrow Vladimir Guerrero Jr on Tuesday blasted a two-run home run as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-2 and tie the MLB World Series at two games apiece. Less than 24 hours after a shattering 18-inning Game 3 loss, the Blue Jays climbed off the canvas to breathe new life into their hopes of a first MLB title in 32 years. Guerrero’s two-run blast off Dodgers starter Shohei Ohtani and a superb pitching performance from ace Shane Bieber laid the foundations for a gutsy victory that silenced Dodger Stadium. “I’m always trying to compete
Jannik Sinner on Thursday eased past Francisco Cerundolo 7-5, 6-1 at the Paris Masters to set up a quarter-final clash with Ben Shelton, while reigning champion Alexander Zverev earned a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round. A maiden crown in the French capital would return Sinner to No. 1 in the world rankings after current incumbent Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock early exit at the hands of Britain’s Cameron Norrie. The Italian four-time Grand Slam champion is yet to drop a set in the tournament as he hones in on what would be a fifth title of the
Jemimah Rodrigues on Thursday hit an unbeaten 127 as India pulled off a record chase of 339 against Australia to set up a Women’s World Cup final against South Africa. Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit 89, put on 167 runs for the third wicket as India won with nine balls and five wickets to spare at DY Patil Stadium, on the outskirts of Mumbai. The hosts finished on a total of 341-5 in reply to Australia’s impressive 338 and ensured there would be a new name on the 50-over trophy tomorrow. Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary to trigger wild celebrations
RSS