Wenger fires warning after Arsenal win

MANCHESTER – Arsene Wenger insisted his Arsenal side can win the Premiership this season after they ended Manchester United’s 100 per cent winning start.

Emmanuel Adebayor’s goal five minutes from time earned Arsenal a thoroughly deserved 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday and left United manager Sir Alex Ferguson embarrassed. Ferguson had suggested in his programme notes that Arsenal were going through a transitional period, yet it was United who looked like the team in the middle of a rebuilding exercise.Wenger insisted the result would kick-start his team’s campaign after a disappointing start by last season’s Champions League finalists.”I don’t feel we are in transition at all,” said Wenger after his side’s first league victory of the season.”It is true that we are a young side, but we are Arsenal and we are ambitious.”Nearly everyone has written us off after the start we have made.If you open the newspapers we will be playing in the Championship next season.”But I hope that this result sends out the right message.We do want to win the title.”Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva could even afford the luxury of missing a first-half penalty, after debutant goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak had sent Adebayor sprawling, before Togo striker Adebayor capped an impressive performance by firing home the winner to stun a capacity 75 000 crowd.Wenger added: “You can see we are a strong side from today’s performance.I believe in this side.”We controlled the game and we were always more dangerous than them.We could have been in front with the penalty.”To miss a penalty in a match of this size and still come back and win shows the character we have in the team.”This team has big potential and we showed great spirit.”Wenger picked out Spanish international Cesc Fabregas, who set up the goal, and Adebayor for praise as Arsenal killed off a United side which had won its first four Premiership games of the season.He said: “Fabregas was absolutely outstanding.He didn’t stop, but I feel every player did well.”I feel Adebayor has the characteristics to play up front and he brought to the team exactly what we needed.”Nampa-AFPFerguson had suggested in his programme notes that Arsenal were going through a transitional period, yet it was United who looked like the team in the middle of a rebuilding exercise.Wenger insisted the result would kick-start his team’s campaign after a disappointing start by last season’s Champions League finalists.”I don’t feel we are in transition at all,” said Wenger after his side’s first league victory of the season.”It is true that we are a young side, but we are Arsenal and we are ambitious.”Nearly everyone has written us off after the start we have made.If you open the newspapers we will be playing in the Championship next season.”But I hope that this result sends out the right message.We do want to win the title.”Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva could even afford the luxury of missing a first-half penalty, after debutant goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak had sent Adebayor sprawling, before Togo striker Adebayor capped an impressive performance by firing home the winner to stun a capacity 75 000 crowd.Wenger added: “You can see we are a strong side from today’s performance.I believe in this side.”We controlled the game and we were always more dangerous than them.We could have been in front with the penalty.”To miss a penalty in a match of this size and still come back and win shows the character we have in the team.”This team has big potential and we showed great spirit.”Wenger picked out Spanish international Cesc Fabregas, who set up the goal, and Adebayor for praise as Arsenal killed off a United side which had won its first four Premiership games of the season.He said: “Fabregas was absolutely outstanding.He didn’t stop, but I feel every player did well.”I feel Adebayor has the characteristics to play up front and he brought to the team exactly what we needed.”Nampa-AFP