Fabregas: our system works
Another maximum-points haul from the trip to CSKA Moscow in a fortnight’s time would all but secure a place in the second phase for last season’s beaten finalists. Unlike recent visitors for Premiership matches to Arsenal’s impressive new 60,000-seater home, the Portuguese side looked to take the game to their hosts, before eventually being outmanoeuvred through Thierry Henry’s 50th European goal and an early second-half strike from Alexander Hleb.
Midfielder Fabregas, 19, feels such tactics can work in the Gunners’ favour.
“It is a different system, with 4-3-3,” the young Spaniard reflected. “Maybe given the way we play, it is a bit better for everyone because we can keep the ball better and create chances with Thierry up front. In the Premiership, teams come to defend when they play against us.”
Fabregas added: “Playing with two strikers and two wingers can be good also.
“Personally, though, I feel comfortable playing 4-3-3 because I feel more protected with Gilberto holding there and I feel I can go more into the box. That is what I like.”
Arsenal have now recorded four straight wins to get their season back on course following a sluggish opening to the campaign when they struggled to break teams down and were chasing the game for long spells.
Fabregas noted: “It was not very good before when the opponents were scoring first, closing us down well and defending well, so it was difficult for us. However, in the last four games we have started the games well, so all the teams have to come out and we have more space to play. They are not defending all the time so they have to score — that is the difference.”
“In Europe, teams attack, they play football and try to create chances. It is more enjoyable football, you know, because you feel you can play more.”
Fabregas, though, knows there is a long way to go before anyone can start talk of going one better than last season’s run to the final.
Nevertheless, the pain of the defeat to Barcelona in Paris has only served to strengthen the resolve of everyone at Arsenal. Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg noted: “A lot of people say as well that when you come that close you feel a bit wounded, that you come back and win it. So let us hope for that.
“It is not that we feel we have a point to prove because we played very well in the final, we were just not happy with the outcome. In a final, it is very, very difficult to lose it in that way — we were the European champions with just 13 minutes to go and then they scored an offside goal.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger celebrates 10 years in charge of the club today, and will be hoping his anniversary is marked by some positive news about the fitness of defender William Gallas. The veteran Frenchman reverted to his favoured centre-back role last night following a recurrence of Johan Djourou’s foot injury during the pre-match warm-up.
However, Gallas hobbled off in the closing stages with a hamstring problem. Wenger admitted after the match he feared the worst ahead of this weekend’s trip to Charlton, but the 29-year-old appeared to be walking much more freely when he left the stadium.
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