Arsene Wenger spoke to the media after the win over Crystal Palace. Here is what he had to say:
on whether he will appeal Arteta's red card…
I think we have good grounds to appeal. If he's only suspended for one game I won't do it because he's suspended for Tuesday night and anyway I would not have played him but it was more today's game that was at stake. It was the wrong decision because it has to be good goalscoring opportunity, he was far from goal, it was an accidental foul, he was not the last man. I think the referee got that one wrong and after that we dealt well with the situation. We were mature, organised, didn't become nervous and we got the second goal. Szczesny made two very good saves at an important moment of the game.
on being surprised at Palace's resistance…
Not really because honestly I was quite impressed by them against Fulham on Monday night. They lost the game against Fulham because they scored goals from another planet that went in from nowhere so they didn't deserve to be 2-1 down at the moment they were. Today they were again organised, strong in the challenge and resilient.
on grinding out a win…
That's what we did today. It was not a game of brilliance but it was a game of efficiency and patience. For us it was about being patient and not making a mistake and we did that well. The pitch was a bit slow, maybe we were not the sharpest as well and the two together made us create less chances than we are used to but we were serious and determined.
on being surprised at how long the grass was…
No we expect that everywhere we go. I will soon have a pitch at home with long grass to practice for when we play away from home.
on lifting their performance against Dortmund...
Yes but what was at stake today after the disappointment of Tuesday night was responding with a win straight away. When you play Champions League in midweek and then go away from home and get the three points, you can't be too demanding, you just are happy.
on the significance of being top...
It is a good feeling without any massive significance but we had an opportunity to put pressure on all the others who race for the title and we did our job. Unfortunately we lost Flamini today and hopefully it will not be for too long. It was a groin problem. I don't know how long it will be.
on the Gnabry's penalty claim in the first half...
It was on the border of inside or on the line. He gave us a foul, but I don't really know.
on the belief of winning the title...
We always had a high level of aspiration.It is people who do not believe that we have a chance but the only thing we can do is win our games. The only thing which is important is every win makes you a bit stronger and strengthens the belief. We have difficult games coming up, and that will be a good test, but I am confident.
on the player's belief...
We are ambitious and want to do as well as we can. You can see that these players are focused. Even when the legs go a little bit, they keep their head and that is always a sign of ambition in the team. We want to win with style but unfortunately it is not always possible.
on if he's worried about fatigue...
You worry about fatigue a little bit, but not too much. Sometimes when you play every three days you look tired and then in three days you are flying again. It goes a bit in cycles.
on the team he will play against Chelsea...
I will rotate against Chelsea, yes, but play with a team as well who has a good chance to qualify, that will be the target.
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