Lehmann more than content with life

Jens Lehmann admits “life is fortunate” for him at the moment, but he remains adamant Arsenal cannot afford to let their focus slip for one second if they are to fulfil their ambitions of Champions League glory.

Lehmann has recently become a dad, is signing a lucrative new contract with Arsenal, has been confirmed as Germany’s number one for the World Cup and is now on the brink of helping his side into the Champions League final.

But the 36-year-old is not the sort of person to allow anything to threaten to upset his good fortune, a fact Emmanuel Eboue was left in no doubt about after the final whistle following Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Villarreal last night.

Lehmann bawled out the young full-back for conceding an unnecessary free-kick deep into injury time, and though there was not enough time for Villarreal to take the kick that did not save the Ivory Coast defender from an ear-bashing.

Lehmann insisted afterwards: “I wasn’t shouting at him. It’s what I said before. We can always improve just a little bit and at this level and in the semi-final every little mistake could knock you out and we cannot afford that.

“We all have to improve a little bit, me as well, if we want to be successful.

“You have to keep them awake. It’s not easy as a defender if you have to concentrate for 90 minutes and cannot afford to make a mistake.

“Sometimes it helps if somebody is shouting, but sometimes obviously they would like to shout back and perhaps say: ’Shut up.’”

Lehmann believes Arsenal should not be over-confident with their advantage over Villarreal, but nevertheless is not worried about failing to score more at Highbury.

He added: “We have a result which could have been better and could have been worse but I’m not in the mood to be frustrated at all. I’m having a very fortunate life so I don’t need to be frustrated.

“We are doing a great job but we want to go to the final.”

Lehmann conceded he was surprised Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann had decided to announce he would put his faith in the Arsenal keeper instead of his [Lehmann’s] old rival Oliver Kahn.

He said: “I was surprised but at the same time I was always very optimistic about that.

“I always kept saying that the pressure here at Arsenal is so big that I can’t increase it by playing for Germany.

“The pressure here is very intense so I don’t have greater pressure by being Germany’s number one, because this is my bread and butter.”

The match at Highbury was interrupted briefly by the appearance of a squirrel on the pitch, which soon ran off after an encounter with the German keeper.

Lehmann, betraying a streak of wry humour, added: “I shouted at it. It wasn’t tackling and it ran away.

"But I tell you one thing. We were quite disappointed when we came here to England because the squirrels in Germany are looking nicer. They are brown and here they are grey. Come to Germany for the World Cup and you will see them!”