Wenger: 'They are young and strong'

Wenger on...the victory
"We always had the quality to play the ball even if we were in a little bit of a rush to take our chances because of the lack of maturity offensively. Overall I am happy with the performance of the boys and their spirit on the night. I was pleased with the fact that they could cope with a big crowd and a team who are totally committed."

Wenger on...whether this young team could win the Premiership
"I don't really know but there is a good basis there. Defensively we were strong so maybe we could win games in the Premiership.  We had some talented  boys out there and they showed that tonight."

Wenger on...Song and Muamba
"They are very young and very strong. One is 18-and-a-half the other is 17-and-a-half and they did extremely well."

Wenger on...scoring the penalty in the light of Pires' attempt versus Man City
"We took the penalty very well. The instruction is always to put the ball in the net but the way to do it is down to the player."

Wenger on...Robin van Persie
"There is a lot of competition up front; we have Reyes and Ljungberg coming back. But this type of performance tonight showed that Robin he is improving and physically he looks very strong and mature. It was a great performance. It was one of the first times I have seen Robin van Persie back to his normal level or even stronger. I feel there is an adaptation for a young player when they come to England. It lasts six to eight months. I was pleased with the way he used his body, that was the problem when he arrived here because it was not as physical as it was in Holland."

Arsène Wenger