Wenger - Stability could be an advantage

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s stability could help them to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

Wholesale changes have taken place at the top of the league this summer, with Sir Alex Ferguson retiring at Manchester United and Roberto Mancini and Rafael Benitez leaving their roles at Manchester City and Chelsea.

Wenger is the longest-serving manager in English football but he believes the title will be decided by the players on the pitch rather than those off it.

“Our opponents have changed managers,” he told journalists in Jakarta on the Asia Tour 2013. “Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United, this is the first time. Is it more open than before? We don’t know, nobody knows.

“It feels like it should be [more open], but it is not who sits on the bench who will be the most important - it is the players on the pitch. That, at Chelsea and United hasn’t changed a lot, at City it has changed a bit more. But there could be more changes coming in.

“We hope to take advantage of [our stability], but we hope to show that on the pitch. Manchester United had the biggest stability, Man City as well as Mancini was there for three years."

Arsenal finished the 2012/13 campaign with an 11-game unbeaten run and the boss hopes his charges continue that form next term.

“We have one thing in that we created the momentum at the end of last season and for us the purpose is to transfer that momentum into the new season with a strong start,” he said. “Are we capable of doing that? Well, that will certainly decide how much we will be competing in the Premier League - that is the most important target. The second most important target is to still bring in players and strengthen the squad. I expect that, but as you know that is not done yet.”