EUPHORIA!
Wenger joy as Arsenal topple Pep
arsene WenGer roared with joy and relief yesterday as his arsenal side set up a mouthwatering Fa Cup final showdown with Chelsea next month.
arsenal fought back from a goal down to clinch victory over Manchester City, courtesy of alexis sanchez’s extra-time winner, and set up Wenger’s bid to win the trophy for a record seventh time.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola will now end the season trophyless for the first time in his managerial career. But for arsenal boss Wenger, the chance to clinch more silverware could persuade him finally to sign the new deal on offer.
arsenal midfielder aaron ramsey said: ‘We have let arsene Wenger down at times this season, we want to win it for him and ourselves. It was important to win today, to have something to look forward to. But now we have another seven cup finals to TURN TO PAGE 79, COL 2
From Back Page try to get into the top four.’ Wenger, who continued to dodge questions about his future, claims yesterday’s euphoric win proves his players remain united despite their recent struggles. ‘We have gone through a very difficult period, we faced some adversity that made the situation more difficult from inside as well,’ said Wenger. ‘We showed a united response not a divided response. Mentally, we were in a fragile position. ‘I feel the club is in a very strong shape. We have a very strong overall situation and a very strong team. We have shown that today. That for me is the most important. One day I will leave anyway so the most important thing is that Arsenal will always be a great club that everyone admires.’ As revealed by Sportsmail last week, Wenger stuck with the new 3-4-3 formation that secured a narrow win over Middlesbrough last Monday. When asked whether changing his team’s defensive shape was one of the bravest calls he has made this season, Wenger replied: ‘I have to look back, during the season I made some tough decisions. It’s my job to try to get it right. When it goes well, we are happy.’