Arsene Wenger was pleased with his side’s response after he admitted it had been a ‘nightmare week’ for the club.
Arsenal beat an in-form AC Milan side 2-0 at the San Siro on Thursday evening, putting an end to a run of four consecutive defeats to the Gunners.
The current form has seen the North London club slide 33 points behind Man City, and more crucially, 13 points behind fourth placed Tottenham in the race to qualify for the Champions League.
However speaking after the game, Wenger likened his side’s response to that of a boxer who had been knocked down:
“When you have big disappointments you forget quickly that you have some qualities. In one week, you do not become a bad team or a bad player. Nothing is permanent in life,” said Wenger.
“When you are knocked down it’s a little bit like in a boxing match when you’re half-knocked down you don’t have time to recover and the next one comes again. That’s what happened to us.
“But at some stage you know you have to respond. Your pride and desire to show quality has to come through in the game.”
Arsenal have been accused of lacking fight and determination during the last few weeks, especially during the two 3-0 defeats to Manchester City in the space of a week, but Wenger was quick to dismiss that:
“People forget that to get to a cup final in England, you need mental resources and you need mental qualities,” said Wenger.
“We lost against a team who are dominating English football at the moment. We have to accept that, it doesn’t mean that the team has no spirit.”