Arsene Wenger is convinced Arsenal can win the Premier League title during his current three-year contract.
The Gunners are 13 points behind leaders Chelsea as they prepare to face Southampton at the Emirates on Wednesday, but Wenger has urged his men to ‘fight like mad’ to get back into the championship race.
Wenger believes he is creating something special – a squad capable of making the north Londoners kings of the League for the first time since the ’03-’04 season.
Despite continued campaigns requesting for his resignation from some sections of Arsenal support, Wenger remains bullish about his team’s prospects.
Asked if he was convinced they can win the title within the duration of his deal, he said:
“Of course.
“We have not started very well but we had never the squad together since the start of the season. It was a typical post-World Cup start. But I think we have what is required to do it. We have to fight like mad now to come back as much as possible to show that we can compete in every single game.
“We have fought many times for the title. People always remember who won it but the fight has been very tight for long periods in the last eight or nine years. We have a big competition in England, we have to accept that. The Premier League level goes always up and this season Chelsea has started very well. They will be difficult to catch but everybody will fight to come back on them.
“After 13 or 14 games, you cannot say that the title race is over. You cannot say Chelsea are not catchable. I think we are creating something special inside the club but our job is to win football games and that is the best way to unite everybody.”
Wenger faces a potential problem at left-back for the visit of Southampton – who won at the Emirates in the League Cup in September – as Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal both struggle for fitness, but he insists the overall injury situation is improving.
He said: “We have question marks about Gibbs, Monreal and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – I still hope either Gibbs or Monreal may be available.
“The other options are Hector Bellerin and Calum Chambers – Bellerin right-back and Chambers left. Or Chambers right and Bellerin left – but, cross the fingers, I think one of the two will make it. Monreal got a bad kick but yesterday [Monday] he was better.
“[Centre-back] Laurent Koscielny just came back after a long time so we will see how he responds. [Goalkeeper] Wojciech Szczesny is still out but he may be okay at the end of the week.
“[Full-back] Mathieu Debuchy is training and is one week away [after September ankle surgery] and certainly could be involved next week.”
Wenger hailed Southampton for their excellent start to the season, made despite selling several first XI players last summer – and praised their signings of Graziano Pelle, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane.
He said: “The team we face is a good team who have started very well. Compared to the exodus that happened in the summer, yes, I am surprised by them.
“But if you analyse it, they have stability in defence and midfield, similar players to last season. The strikers they have bought, Mane, Pelle and Tadic, have integrated very well into their system. They were shrewd.
“You have to consider them top-four contenders when you look at the points they have. If they can maintain this run, yes, but we will know more about it in March. They don’t play in Europe so they can prepare well for every game and that can be an advantage.”
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