This week’s love-in at the Emirates continued this morning with manager Arsène Wenger declaring: “I love this club.”

Speaking at a press conference ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Swansea, Arsène acknowledged yesterday’s words of support from majority shareholder Stan Kroenke, who has confirmed that he wanted Wenger to stay at the Emirates beyond the expiry of his contract at the end of this season.

Wenger said:

"I'm very honoured to have the support of Stan Kroenke. That is something that is very positive for me. I've had consistent support from inside the club. I'm very grateful to this club because during my 17 years we have had ups and downs. They have always shown faith in me.”

Arsène is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League but reflected this morning that,

"I don't know where the last 17 years have gone. I always said our job is [to] work like you are here forever and know it could end every day. What I would like to do as long as I am here is do my best because I love this club.

“I don't believe anyone can question my commitment to this club. I want to feel I do well and then the question of me staying will be secondary after that. The good thing with me is you don't need a lot of talks to extend the contract I have," he said.

Twisting the laws of physics past breaking point, The Guardian even reports Arsène saying that he "would love to be here forever because that would make me immortal".

Encouragingly and more realistically, Arsène believes that we “have a team now that can compete and that's what we want to show” – though the narrowness of Wednesday’s Carling One Cup victory over West Brom suggests that the squad could use a few more experienced players as cover for the first team.

Injuries

Fortunately the logjam in the physio’s room appears to be easing slightly.  The manager confirmed that Aaron Ramsey “has a little thigh problem” but “should be all right” for Swansea.

Santi Cazorla, meanwhile, “could be back after the international break”, while Theo Walcott is “optimistically three weeks” and “realistically five weeks” away from a return to action.

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