Wenger happy to ride luck in final straight

IT has been a few years since the ‘Lucky Arsenal’ tag was applied to Arsene Wenger’s team, but the cobwebs were certainly dusted off after they rode their luck like celebrity supporter Tony McCoy rides his horses to consolidate fourth position in the Premier League.

Do not let the emphatic scoreline lull anybody into false conclusions. Wigan hit the post, had one cleared off the line and were rightly furious at referee Alan Wiley’s failure to dismiss Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs in the first half following a professional foul on Antonio Valencia.

It was one of those days. Arsenal waited an hour for an effort on target, yet they ended up scoring four. With that kind of good fortune, they could yet emerge from the pivotal week in their season with hopes still alive in both the Champions League and FA Cup. “We love the fact we have these big games coming up against Villarreal and Chelsea.” Wenger admitted. “There is tension there, but we like that because, if there’s no tension, it means you are not going for anything.”