Wenger relieved as rampant Arsenal bounce back

Manager hails ‘mental strength’ after 5-1 West Ham demolition.

LONDON: Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s 5-1 demolition of West Ham proves they are mentally strong enough to cope with the pressure of battling to finish in the Premier League’s top four.

After error-strewn performances in successive defeats against Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal’s season appeared to be in danger of imploding and Wenger reportedly held crisis talks with his players earlier this week.

But the Gunners temporarily silenced their critics with an emphatic victory at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday which lifted them within four points of fourth placed Tottenham.

“We got a good response, I watched the Chelsea game again and felt in the second half we were good and we continued that here,” said Wenger. “In the first half we controlled it but West Ham were dangerous on set pieces and we got punished. In the second we played with great pace, had tremendous movement and created a lot of chances.

“The players have fantastic mentality and ability. That is what we want to show until the end of the season.”

Man United close in on £15m Zaha deal

Meanwhile, league leaders Manchester United are set to complete their first transfer of the January window with the signing of Crystal Palace wonder kid Wilfred Zaha for £15m, according to the BBC.

The 20-year-old will undergo a medical with United in the next 24 hours before signing a five-and-a-half year deal. He will, however, be loaned back to Palace until the summer.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2013.