Wenger hails 'one of my greatest victories'
Source: AFP |
November 1, 2012, Thursday
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Print Edition
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THE League Cup may rank low on Arsene Wenger's priority list, but the Arsenal manager said his side's amazing fourth-round win at Reading was one of the greatest victories of his career.
Arsenal was heading out of the League Cup on Tuesday evening before launching an incredible comeback from 0-4 down to progress to the quarterfinals as it bids to end its seven-year wait for a trophy.
The 12-goal thriller at the Madejski Stadium could go down as one of the best games in English football history. Theo Walcott inspired the amazing comeback to complete the turnaround and clinch a 7-5 win.
"We went from disaster to saving our pride," Wenger said.
"The fans stayed behind the team throughout and I have to give them credit. It was difficult to be worse in the second half than we were in the first.
"Maybe this is one of my greatest victories. You cannot play for Arsenal and give up, no matter what the score.
"This (tournament) is not one of our priorities, but if we had gone out the way we played in the first half, it would not have been one of my proudest moments as well.
"But this was like a tennis game. It's important to win and to be in the hat for the quarterfinal."
The Gunners were 0-4 down before Walcott replied on the stroke of half-time. But Arsenal appearing to only have pride to play for, Oliver Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Carl Jenkinson all struck to send the tie into extra time.
Giroud and Francis Coquelin threw their shirts into the away end at the full-time whistle as they thought a replay was on the cards, but that moment of farce only added to the sense of unreality on an extraordinary night.
It was not over there as Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh and Reading's Pavel Pogrebnyak swapped goals before Walcott and Chamakh killed off Reading for good deep into extra time.
Wenger praised Walcott, who is at the centre of a contract dispute, following his double.
"Walcott did very well," he said. "I know he is a great player and many players did well. Theo scored goals and was efficient. He wasn't the only one."
On a thrilling night for English football's second-tier knockout competition, three Premier League clubs - Southampton, Sunderland and Wigan - were beaten by lower-league opposition.
The biggest shock came at Wigan where fourth-tier club Bradford won a penalty shootout 4-2 after the match ended 0-0. Southampton lost 0-3 to Leeds. Middlesbrough advanced after Scott McDonald's goal secured a 1-0 victory at northeast rival Sunderland.
Aston Villa eliminated third-tier club Swindon 3-2 after Christian Benteke's 90th minute goal.
Arsenal was heading out of the League Cup on Tuesday evening before launching an incredible comeback from 0-4 down to progress to the quarterfinals as it bids to end its seven-year wait for a trophy.
The 12-goal thriller at the Madejski Stadium could go down as one of the best games in English football history. Theo Walcott inspired the amazing comeback to complete the turnaround and clinch a 7-5 win.
"We went from disaster to saving our pride," Wenger said.
"The fans stayed behind the team throughout and I have to give them credit. It was difficult to be worse in the second half than we were in the first.
"Maybe this is one of my greatest victories. You cannot play for Arsenal and give up, no matter what the score.
"This (tournament) is not one of our priorities, but if we had gone out the way we played in the first half, it would not have been one of my proudest moments as well.
"But this was like a tennis game. It's important to win and to be in the hat for the quarterfinal."
The Gunners were 0-4 down before Walcott replied on the stroke of half-time. But Arsenal appearing to only have pride to play for, Oliver Giroud, Laurent Koscielny and Carl Jenkinson all struck to send the tie into extra time.
Giroud and Francis Coquelin threw their shirts into the away end at the full-time whistle as they thought a replay was on the cards, but that moment of farce only added to the sense of unreality on an extraordinary night.
It was not over there as Arsenal's Marouane Chamakh and Reading's Pavel Pogrebnyak swapped goals before Walcott and Chamakh killed off Reading for good deep into extra time.
Wenger praised Walcott, who is at the centre of a contract dispute, following his double.
"Walcott did very well," he said. "I know he is a great player and many players did well. Theo scored goals and was efficient. He wasn't the only one."
On a thrilling night for English football's second-tier knockout competition, three Premier League clubs - Southampton, Sunderland and Wigan - were beaten by lower-league opposition.
The biggest shock came at Wigan where fourth-tier club Bradford won a penalty shootout 4-2 after the match ended 0-0. Southampton lost 0-3 to Leeds. Middlesbrough advanced after Scott McDonald's goal secured a 1-0 victory at northeast rival Sunderland.
Aston Villa eliminated third-tier club Swindon 3-2 after Christian Benteke's 90th minute goal.
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