Arsenal's performance in Wednesday's goalless draw with CSKA
Moscow was their best in Europe and they should have won 7-0, said
manager Arsene Wenger.
They missed a series of excellent chances, particularly in the
first half when they regularly shredded a Russian defence yet to
concede a goal in the competition.
Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Tomas Rosicky were all
guilty of woeful efforts when it seemed easier to score and even
the master Thierry Henry could not find the target.
"The normal score in this game is 7-0, maybe 7-1," Wenger told a
news conference. "I don't think tonight we could be guilty of
trying to score the perfect goal - we created clear-cut chances, we
dominated this Moscow team by miles. There was a division's
difference between us but we have to take the result."
The Frenchman, though frustrated, was also delighted with the
way his side went about their business.
"In the first half it was the best performance by an Arsenal
team in the Champions League," he said. "We took them out of
position six or seven times. I've just seen the highlights on TV
and we had nine clear-cut chances to win the game.
"But there's no point making an obsession of it. Sometimes you
create chances and they don't go in. You cannot coach when you are
five yards out and miss but you can help the players to get over
that."
CSKA lead Group G on eight points with Arsenal and Porto on
seven after the Portuguese side's 3-1 win in Hamburg.
With a tough trip to Porto to finish their group games, last
season's runners-up still face a tough battle to get through.
"The team is a at crucial moment, they could really explode and
be sensational if we keep the belief and get the frustration out of
the way and we could score five or six," said Wenger.
"I feel this team has great potential and it's how we mature in
the coming months that will decide whether we win a trophy or
not."
CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev was delighted to escape with a point
that left his side in the driving seat in the group.
"Arsenal played very well and we were not so good today and had
some luck," he said. "We got a bit overrun in midfield but we
changed things round and it was better in the second half."
Asked if the 2005 UEFA Cup winners could reach the knockout
phase, Gazzayev said: "There are three teams in with every chance
so it's difficult to say. We have to play Porto at home while
Arsenal play them away and maybe that will help us."
(China Daily November 3, 2006)