No place for Gunners to hide, says Wenger

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal “will not hide” when they take on Premier League pace-setters Manchester City tomorrow.

The Gunners qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League following a goalless draw with Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night.

Wenger made 11 changes for the tie against the Serbian outfit and is expected to make wholesale alterations for the visit to City.

While Pep Guardiola’s side are setting the Premier League alight, Arsenal have won just once on the road in the league so far.

Wenger saw his men humbled 4-0 at Liverpool in August but, following a string of victories on home turf, the Frenchman is keen to push City to their limits tomorrow.

“We have an opportunity to show that we can deal with those kind of games and I am sure we can,” he said.

“At the moment, we just have to prepare in a serious way with clarity and focus and give the maximum on Sunday.

“I wouldn’t like to come out on that but of course we will try to play our game. We will not hide.

“We want as well to play, have the ball and create dangerous situations. The best way to defend sometimes is to attack.”

Arsenal were the last team to beat City, triumphing in their FA Cup semi-final meeting in April. They also ran Guardiola’s team close in the corresponding league fixture last season as Theo Walcott gave the visitors the lead in a 2-1 defeat.

The spotlight will be on Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez tomorrow.

City failed in a deadline day bid to bring the Chile international to the Etihad Stadium but speculation suggesting they may make another attempt, as the 28-year-old’s Gunners contract winds down, persists.

Yet while City boss Pep Guardiola says he will look to strengthen his squad again next summer, he would not be drawn on Sanchez in particular.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, the managersaid: “The transfer window is closed, so it’s not time to talk about that.

“You know my opinion on the players I have, (and) Alexis – you know my opininon, but he’s an Arsenal player. It’s not correct to talk about that, especially before we play them.

“He is such an important player for them, for the talent he has. We have to try to control him. Let’s focus on that.”

Asked whether he would look to bring in another forward, Guardiola said: “I think next season we have to shake the team again a little.

“Not in terms like this season, where it was a lot because the average age was 28 or 29. Now we are a young team. But we’ll buy players, we’ll try to analyse well and buy the right players like we did last season and this season.”

City are unbeaten in 16 games this season and have won their last 14 games in a club record run.

That form has led to speculation they could go through the season unbeaten, a feat last achieved in the Premier League by Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ in the 2003-04 campaign.

Guardiola claims his side will not be able to match that accomplishment.

He said: “I would like to say to Arsene that this record belongs to him, we are not going to break it. He has to be calm.

“It was an exceptional team, being unbeatable in the Premier League is something fantastic. We don’t want to break this record but we want to play good on Sunday and beat them.”

Arsene Wenger: ‘best way to defend sometimes is to attack.’