Speaking after being somewhat vindicated by Arsenal's 5-2 derby victory at the weekend, Arsene Wenger believes his side can press on and be more consistent, having stuttered and started throughout the campaign.

He spoke in glowing (even more than usual) terms about the team, saying he believes 'there is something special about this team':

“We have shown quality, spirit and a lot of movement, and that is what we want from our team,” he told Arsenal Player.

“The result will help to rebuild belief completely again. There is something special in this team and I am happy that will come out when they play with complete confidence.

“I am confident [it will be a platform]. Let's be consistent. We will gain some belief and confidence from this result, and we will transfer that into our next game and show the same performance.”

He also offered an amusing insight into his view on defending:

I believe it is always easier to correct the defensive side than getting your team to score goals, when you score goals you always have a chance."

Outscore the other team, then Arsene? How very Arsenal of you.

Consistency and confidence

Wenger has identified the two key areas Arsenal have struggled in for the last few seasons. You could argue that it's his job to deal with that but at least his comments have shown he's aware of the issue.

Arsenal have never lacked for quality players, but there is a definite fragility in the mentality of the team. The recent Fulham draw for example: Arsenal were 2-0 up and flying, and a single defensive error destroyed them, and they never looked the same for the remainder of the match. This, combined with a tendency towards complacency toward 'easy' games (like the defeat at Norwich) has been the undoing of a number of title challenges.

Wenger's comments sum up what we all think: Arsenal need to build on this good result and push up the table, and eliminate the issues that have constantly cropped up to scupper them over the years. The next game is another away trip to the Midlands, to Aston Villa. An easy game on paper, but the team can't be allowed to think that.

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