Arsene’s got no Ox to grind
ARSENE WENGER claims there are no hard feelings towards Alex OxladeChamberlain but admits he is gunning for revenge over Liverpool tonight. The England winger (below) faces his old club for the first time since leaving in a £35m transfer at the end of August. But Wenger claims he does not blame him for moving and is more concerned about avenging his side’s 4-0 thumping at Anfield just before the Ox left. The Gunners boss said: “I didn’t want him to go. I offered him a contract but in the end he decided to go and we just had to try and get the best possible price. “Sometimes it happens – one player who we don’t want to go, goes. “We respect his decision and that’s absolutely normal. I have no problem with that. What’s important is that the players make a good career, preferably in your club. If it doesn’t happen, you still want them to have a good career.
“I think he will be an important player for England and will continue to develop.
“Defeat at Liverpool was difficult to swallow because it was a bad performance. In life you want to put things right and we have a chance, which is good.
“We got caught cold in that game and we have a good opportunity now to show that we are a different team.”
Horror
Arsenal have lost only three times since that summer horror show on Merseyside, but Wenger has not forgotten it.
He said: “The international break gave us a bit of time to get perspective. The players had time with their national teams to get the pain out of the system.
“When they came back, you can put things behind you. At the top level, you can’t make a top career without disappointment. It’s about how you deal with it, how you respond to the disappointment which makes your life. It doesn’t mean that I forgot what happened there. It was a big disappointment.”
Arsenal playing Liverpool on a Friday night brings back memories of the legendary 1989 title-winning game at Anfield, when Michael Thomas won the league for George Graham’s side.
That achievement has recently been immortalised in a film, but Wenger claims it’s always special to play Liverpool.
He said: “I watched that game, I saw the goal for Michael Thomas. It’s fantastic history for the club and since ’89 we have won championships, won FA Cups.
“My best memory against Liverpool is maybe when we won the championship in 2004.
“It was a pivotal game, the unbeaten season. We were 2-1 down at half-time and won 4-2.
“Liverpool have had good teams in the past but we have not produced our best performances against them recently. Now we have a good opportunity to do that.”
Gunners striker Olivier Giroud is still sweating on the results of a scan to confirm whether he will be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.