Leeds stroll puts Wolves back on track
We have to shift the fear factor
ON THE day they announced losses of £23 million for last season, Wolves moved a big step closer to the fabulous riches on offer in the Premier League in a commanding victory at Elland Road.
First-half goals from Romain Saiss and Willy Boly were topped off by substitute Benik Afobe adding a third for his first goal since rejoining the club on loan from Bournemouth in January, in a victory that ended a worrying recent drop-off in form from the Championship leaders.
Winless in three games – their worst run of the season – Wolves were aiming for an evening without drama and looked on course for one from the moment they launched their first real attack.
With 20 minutes gone, Leo Bonatini’s pass split the Leeds defence and found Ivan Cavaleiro, whose
LEEDS WOLVES
last. Douglas’s corner found Saiss unmarked inside the six-yard box and his stooping header gave the keeper no chance.
Wolves still needed a second goal to ease the nerves and Bonatini and Jota might have done better following a poor clearance from Leeds sub Matthew Pennington, on for the injured Liam Cooper.
Instead, it was two defenders who combined to double the lead just before the interval. Douglas’s corner found the head of Danny Batth, whose effort ricocheted off the bar, falling invitingly for Boly, who powered home his own header.
Leeds improved after the break and visiting keeper John Ruddy saw his goal threatened by Gaetano Berardi ARSENE WENGER claims his Arsenal flops have forgotten how good they really are.
The Gunners have just lost four games in a row for the first time since 2002 and their confidence is at rock-bottom ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash against AC Milan.
Wenger, right, said: “The players are a bit affected by what happens because they want to win. In life, you forget quickly how good you are.
“When you have a bad week, players change their mind about their own quality. We have to not forget we are good football different. You can’t compare it. Compared to Wenger, I’m in the children’s team, I’m just starting and he has been coaching for 30 years. In that regard, it’s not a contest.
“He has won so much in his career. My path is still very long. It will be an interesting match, with more of a new philosophy like mine against him and his experience.”
Wenger has won 14 trophies in his managerial career, while Gattuso is yet to win one, although he has steered Milan to the final of this year’s Coppa Italia.
But the Arsenal manager’s current team are a shadow of some of those successful sides of the past and this competition is now their last chance of silverware.
Wenger said: “This is an opportunity we have to take, of course. It increases the pressure on it even more in this competition.
“It is a good opportunity to show we can deal with that and, in the longer term, it will make the team even stronger.”
Arsenal will be without injured pair Nacho Monreal and Alexandre Lacazette and have also left Hector Bellerin in London.
Wenger said: “Bellerin has an inflammation of his left knee, without ligament damage. He needs some further investigation. He was in hospital this afternoon to know why he is in so much pain.
“But it doesn’t look a longterm problem. He tried, he went out but couldn’t absorb the training session, so we had to leave him behind.” players, but as well to fix reachable targets. “Be practical, pragmatic – focus on what you can do better and analyse what you didn’t do well and not be too scared about the consequences of a bad result. “Focus on defending better, playing quicker and doing more together. Reachable targets to improve the team.”
Captain Laurent Koscielny admits the pressure is on.
“We are disappointed with how we have played. We are in a negative spiral and it’s difficult to get out of this,” he said.
“We have to be positive to have a good result and then step by step we will come back stronger.”