Wenger: We would have won if it was at home

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
02 Dec	7:45 PM	LC	Manchester City (A)	0	3	Lost

Manager Arsène Wenger says that the result would have been different had his young team been playing at the Emirates. The boss also defended his policy of selecting a largely inexperienced side in the knockout tie.

Manchester City scored three goals without reply, and whilst the young Arsenal attack did trouble the City defence in bits, with Fran Merida also hitting the bar late on in the game, we never really looked like winning the moment we went 1-0 down.

Wenger defended his policy of playing a young side, saying that these young players would need the match experience sooner rather than later, but admitted that perhaps the pressure of playing away from home got to some of them.

He said: "They looked more dangerous than us in the final third and at the end of the day their quality offensively paid off and we have to swallow a defeat despite the fact that I believe in large patches of the game we played well.

"We lacked a little bit of pace and power to take advantage of the good movements we created. I believe as well our young payers are not used to playing with such intensity and after an hour we dropped a little bit.

But it's a good experience and it was a difficult game and we were a bit unlucky as well with the goals they scored.

"They played their full side and we didn't, that was the difference. We play in the Champions League and they don't so they use their full side in this competition.

"You cannot say we develop the players like Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Fran Merida and then never give them a game. Then you have to change our policy. It can work.

"I think if we had played at home tonight I think we could have won this game. The home crowd had a big impact on the motivation of City and of the players.

"I believe for long periods it was a very tight game."

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