Zabaleta urges City to harness Wembley momentum

Believes it can spur them onto further silverware at home and abroad

LIVERPOOL/ LONDON: Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta believes that his team’s Wembley success in the League Cup final against Liverpool can spur them onto further silverware at home and abroad.

Manuel Pellegrini’s team face Liverpool again in the Premier League on Wednesday, just three days after beating them 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the cup final, following a 1-1 stalemate at the end of extra time.

City have ground to make up on surprise league leaders Leicester City and are also still very much alive in the Champions League, following an impressive 3-1 last-16 first leg away victory at Dynamo Kiev.

Zabaleta believes winning the League Cup, for the second time in three years, will inspire them to additional success.



“We know that it’s another competition, another cup is gone, now we have time enough to be focused on the Premier League and the Champions League,” said the Argentine right-back.

The 31-year-old is confident of his side’s chances in the league. “We know how important it is now to recover all the players and most of them be fit for that period because we have a lot of big games coming up now until the end,” he said. “We need to try to win and get back on track again. There are still 36 points to play for in the Premier League, which is a lot of games.”

On a dramatic weekend in the Premier League, Arsenal’s 3-2 loss at Manchester United was a boost for City but Zabaleta says that his team must only focus on the trip to Liverpool as defeat could spell disaster.



Wenger brands Arsenal criticism ‘excessive’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Tuesday labelled criticism of his team’s faltering Premier League title challenge ‘excessive’ and ‘too emotional’.

Sunday’s 3-2 defeat at injury-ravaged Manchester United left Arsenal five points below league leaders Leicester City, compromising the London club’s chances of ending their 12-year wait for the title.

Media pundits rounded on Arsenal afterwards, former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness branding them ‘weak and insipid’ and ex-Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson saying Wenger should leave if they do not win the league.



“I’m never surprised by the criticism that comes,” Wenger told a press conference ahead of his side’s home game with Swansea City on Wednesday. “That’s part of the media today. Part of the opinion is always a bit excessive and emotional, but we have to deal with that and I don’t complain about it.”

The Frenchman refused to respond to any of the critics. “I don’t want to respond to individual criticism,” he said. “People are a bit too emotional and we want to put things into perspective by analysing things a bit more in a neutral way,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.

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