Wenger not Arsenal who has all Premier League bragging rights

Two great managers who possess steadfast and unwavering belief in themselves; Jose Mourinho would do well to observe. While his self-belief derives from an attitude bordering on cocky, the former two, Wenger’s especially comes from within. A refined poise and inward confidence, almost like Andy Dufresne out of Shawshank Redemption.

It is this coolness and presence of mind, which enabled Wenger to escape the prison he found himself in at the start of the season, which was only made worse by two Champions League defeats. Four consecutive Premier League wins and Arsenal, (15/8 with Coral to win it) now sit at the summit of England’s top flight.

While their latest home game against Everton pointed to a potential Toffees thrashing, in reality it was never going to be that easy. Smarting from a 3-0 Goodison Park defeat to Manchester United last time out, Roberto Martinez’ men had a point to prove.

Gunners toughness

Some also will have underestimated the potential for any mental fatigue which would have crept into the players midway through the match, following a tough 2-0 win over Bayern Munich last time out.

Psychologically taxing as well as physically, the highs that would have come from the victory would have started to subside by kick-off Saturday evening and it was testament to the virtues of Wenger for being able to motivate his team for another tough task.

Handily, the form of Mesut Ozil has been evident for all to see in recent games, while Gabriel Paulista has thrown off any early season silliness, growing into an Arsenal defender, a term which should perhaps have been trademarked by Tony Adams, Martin Keown et al at the turn of the new Millennium.

This situation is certainly unique for Wenger and his critics. No doubt in days to come, there will be the inevitable, ‘they still need to strengthen’, ‘can they keep it up?’ lines throughout the media. For the Arsenal manager though, his saucer is well and truly half-full.

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