Gunners are over White Hart pain, declares Hleb

ALEXANDER HLEB believes Arsenal’s recent form has helped to erase the memory of getting thrashed at Tottenham — and has backed Emmanuel Adebayor to help continue the run on Saturday against Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger’s side have won four on the spin since they lost 5-1 in the second leg of the Carling Cup semi-final at White Hart Lane last month.

Arsenal travel to Old Trafford for their FA Cup fifth-round clash against United at the weekend and midfielder Hleb is certain victory there will ensure the Spurs defeat becomes a distant memory.

Hleb said: “It was very important for us to get things right again after the Spurs defeat.

“Sometimes matches like that one happen in football — maybe we didn’t have the right level of concentration, it’s difficult to say.”

Full-back Gael Clichy also felt the performances have atoned for the defeat to their rivals.

He added: “I think it was really important to do that, for the fans and the club.

“So we have to carry on like this — combining that spirit with the kind of game we play, then we can achieve great things this season.”

Arsenal remain in three competitions, with AC Milan their opponents in the Champions League next week. Central to their hopes of silverware is Adebayor, the Togo international striker who has scored in his last nine games for his club.

“He’s in fantastic form. It’s great for him and for the team,” Hleb added.

“Now with important games such as Manchester United and AC Milan and others coming up, it’s ideal to have a striker who is taking his chances whichever way they come and showing such all-round ability.

“Everything is coming off for him at the moment.”

Meanwhile, United defender Rio Ferdinand believes the only way to lay the ghost of a “very bad” weekend is to send title rivals Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup.

United flopped to a 2-1 derby defeat against Manchester City on Sunday before Arsene Wenger’s side beat Blackburn a day later to cement their position as title favourites.

“It was a very bad weekend. We’ve all been thinking about the reasons why it happened and how we want to pull ourselves together and get the result out of our minds.

“The best thing you can do is to come into training and just get focused on winning the next game, and that’s what we’re doing.”