'It takes quality to respond the way we did'

On a night of mixed emotions...
"I believe it was a game of a frenetic pace, and of top quality. Both teams created many chances and you can see when you play on a good pitch you can play football in the Premier League. Apart from that we are  half-happy because we scored four goals but we are half-unhappy because we conceded four. As well, to be 4-3 up with two minutes to go, the team is disappointed. It was another great performance tonight and Liverpool maybe thought a draw was a fair result.

"The big regret we have is that 10 minutes into the second half we a 2-1 down, but not from something created by Liverpool; from balls we didn't clear properly from the back."

On Andrey Arshavin...
"Arshavin can play everywhere, like all great players. He scored four goals but it was at the end of good combination play. He has tricks and a short back-lift and that makes him very dangerous.

"It shows he has a good left foot, but in full confidence he can be relaxed enough to take the goal anyway. I have been in this job a long time and not many players get four goals in a top game like that. I didn't expect him to do that - he has scored seven in seven games."

On the title race...
"It is still very open. It depends on what kind of form Manchester United find because they had a bit of a problem before the interruption of the Champions League so we will see how they come back against Portsmouth."

On responding to the weekend defeat...
"I never doubted the character of my players. The fact they came into the dressing room very, very disappointed says a lot about their character. It shows they wanted to win and that we go for it every time. It takes quality to respond like we did today, only three days after the [FA Cup]."

On the goalkeeper's performance...
"He was fantastic in the first half but struggled a bit more in the second because I believe we were less dominant from crosses. But overall, Fabianski had a good performance."

On Bendtner's disallowed goal...
"I have just seen it again and it doesn't look offside at all."

[Tuesday, April 21, 2009]

Print this page Email to a friend