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Wenger - We need to strike right balance

15/16: Arsenal v Stoke City - Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger

By Lloyd Webb 

Arsene Wenger says that Arsenal need to find the right balance between confidence and urgency in the Champions League.

The Gunners travel to Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb in their Group F opener on Wednesday evening.

Wenger stressed the importance of a good start but says his side will need to be at their best to secure the win.

“It is important we go to Zagreb highly focused and conscious at what is at stake there,” he said. “You can be quickly out of the Champions League and we want to start well and we know we have a battle first to qualify with Bayern Munich [in the group].

"The hunger of a team is shown as well in how well you go in every competition"

Arsene Wenger

“You need to find the balance between urgency and confidence and at times that is difficult as you can quickly be too confident and lose your urgency.

“We have Olympiacos and Zagreb first and we have to finish above them and the result will come down to that. I think it is important to start well because the hunger of a team is shown as well in how well you go in every competition.”

Theo Walcott could lead the line again in Croatia and Wenger believes he has the necessary attributes to be a top-class centre forward.

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“I think he has an eye for the goal,” the manager said. “The quality of his receptions in the box is at the top. He will become a instinctive finisher when he has a couple of goals behind him.

“He needs a few more goals to score a bit more spontaneously. He is quick and gets into good little pockets."

 

Theo Walcott

Theo Walcott

 

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