Arsenal playing to atone for last season

ARSENE WENGER has admitted last season’s startling Premiership collapse has played a major part in Arsenal’s flying start to the new campaign.

The Gunners’ four straight wins represents their best start to a league season in 56 years and has seen them ease three points clear of old rivals and defending champions Manchester United.

Not even a 4am alarm call could disrupt their momentum in Manchester yesterday as Sylvain Wiltord and Freddie Ljungberg grabbed the goals to which overturn City’s early lead. Though his side were never at their best against City, Wenger feels they are drawing strength from last season’s demise.

“My players are hungry and determined and what happened last season has played a major part in that,” said the Frenchman.

“It is acting as a focus for us, even if it is too early to draw any conclusions about the season as a whole.”

Judging by Wenger’s words, it is also too early to worry about what United are up to.

Notoriously eager to gather up any information on Alex Ferguson and his team, Wenger did not even bother finding out the result from St Mary’s as his own team prepared for action.

It was left to a club official to inform the Arsenal coach and even then he did not pass the score onto his own players.

“If there had been four games to go I would have told them but as there are still 34 left I didn’t bother,” he said.

“We have just started a marathon and we need to keep focused on how we are doing.”

While much has been made of Wenger’s inability to enter the transfer market this summer, the Highbury chief believes the minimal disruption to his squad is actually helping them.

Only new goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has had to be integrated into the team pattern, so Wenger is not facing the kind of problems Claudio Ranieri is likely to encounter as he builds the most expensive team in the country across London at Chelsea.

“We already had a good team to start with, so the few additions we have made have come into a stable environment,” said Wenger.

“That is one of the bonuses of the summer and it has allowed us to start well. If you look at the situation logically, you would have to say Chelsea will be stronger at the end of the season because of the number of new players they have. We have played some difficult matches already, so I have to be happy with the way things have gone so far.”

Wenger has already confirmed he is planning for Arsenal’s next league outing against Portsmouth on September 13 without Gilberto Silva, who is required for Brazil’s forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Ecuador.

Francis Jeffers will be absent as well after agreeing a season-long loan at former club Everton after failing to cement a first-team spot since his £10m move from Goodison to north London. Jeffers has followed Jermaine Pennant out of the club in what Wenger sees as a novel way of providing his young players with a chance to prove they are capable of operating at Arsenal’s level.

“I said I would give the younger players a chance and I have,” said Wenger.

“I have let Jermaine go to Leeds and when he comes back I will know exactly how good he is because he will have had Premiership experience.

“I have also played Kolo Toure in every game so far and there will be another few who come in as the season goes on. Eventually they will get their opportunity but it’s difficult to leave experienced players out of the side when you have won every game.”