MX23RW : Wednesday, January 1 02:07:31| >> :120:17572:17572:

Arsene Wenger: 'First goal was vital'

Wenger: 'First goal was vital'
© PA Photos
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that his side scoring first was the key to beating Swansea City 2-0 at the Liberty Stadium this afternoon.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hailed the importance of his side scoring the first goal in their 2-0 win over Swansea City this afternoon.

Nacho Monreal broke the deadlock for the Gunners with just 15 minutes left, giving Wenger's side the advantage in a tight match that looked like it could have gone either way.

Gervinho added another late on to secure the three points, but Wenger believes that the opening goal was the most important one.

"They defended well, as did we. It was a game of defensive stability and we just needed an opening and the first goal was vital," said Wenger.

"We defended high up the pitch and in the whole second half we tried to pin them back, but we did not create many clear chances until the last 20 minutes and once we went 1-0 up I thought more would come."

The win lifts Arsenal back up to fifth in the Premier League table, two points off Chelsea in fourth.

ID:74552: cacheID:74552:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2136:
Written by
Barney Corkhill
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger during his side's game with Sunderland on February 9, 2013
Read Next:
Wenger praises Arsenal spirit
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
3Arsenal18106235161936
4Chelsea19105438231535
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle1995532211132
6Manchester CityMan City199463226631
7Bournemouth198652923630
8Fulham197842825329
9Aston Villa198562831-329
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton196942928127
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1973941281324
12Brentford187383232024
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham196582335-1223
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd196492126-522
15Crystal Palace194872027-720
16Everton183871524-917
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester1935112242-2014
20Southampton1913151239-276


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!