Wenger happy with Arsenal performance

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
14 Apr	3:00 PM	P	Bolton Wanderers (H)	2	1	Win

Arsène Wenger feels that his team have passed a crucial mental test after coming back from a goal down against Bolton Wanderers to win 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners went a goal down after the third minute but recovered with goals from Tomas Rosicky and Francesc Fabregas to race 5 points clear of fifth-placed Bolton.

Wenger said: "I felt our pace was higher, in our passing and we were very mobile, that gave them a big problem.

"And the fact that our link play was very good in the middle of the park and our midfielders interchanged their positioning very well - in the first half especially - they never knew who to take.

"Before they got close to us we moved it again and the speed of our passing was a big problem for them.

"I felt it was an interesting case to see how strong we are mentally and how much we believe in the football that we play.

"I got a quick response because we created chance after chance, we outplayed - in fairness - Bolton with the pace of our passing.

"Even at 2-1, you see how we conceded our first goal, there is a free kick and one minute to go and you have not taken our chances, you always fear that it can go for them again and they can get a 2-2.

"I feel everybody wanted to score and in the end nobody scored - it's always like that when you want it too much, it doesn't happen.

"I have to watch it very closely on the tape because it looks very strange to me."

The Arsenal manager breathed a sigh of relief after seeing his side end a run of dismal results and take a big step towards securing fourth spot in the league, and thus ensuring Champions League football next season.

Wenger added: "Last week we were in a bad situation, losing here and going to Newcastle, and having to play Bolton of course.

"But we responded well mentally, with a team you live in a tunnel and sometimes you have to experience - to go down a little bit, to flirt with the hell, to see how much you can deal with that to come up and be stronger.

"I feel we had a disappointing three or four weeks, and to experience how we would respond to that situation I'm very proud of how the team responded and I respect a lot what they did, the way they behaved in the last few weeks, even if they were the most painful few weeks of the season.

"Unfortunately you go very quickly to hell and very slowly to heaven!"

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