Arsenala s Arsene Wenger expects a very intense game against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Arsenal face Palace on Saturday and Arsene would be eyeing all 3 points, especially as all the other top 4 rivals play one other this weekend and quite a few of the could end up dropping points.
Of course, Arsene Wenger isna t taking Palace lightly, and said they were a very passionate team, especially at home.
a Ita s always very intense and it is a very dynamic ground,a the manager said. a Ita s a bit like Highbury as an old-fashioned stadium with a soul and it has a crowd that is always behind their team. We expect a passionate afternoon.
a Alan Pardew has done extremely well. They have found confidence again and they made positive results and that is what it is about when you are a manager.a
Arsene also talked about former gunner Marouane Chamakh and how he was happy that the striker has been able to make a career for himself in England.
a He came to Arsenal as a striker and in the first six months he did very well,a he said. “After Robin van Persie came back from injury and he played as more of a sub, he lost confidence. Ia m happy that he went to Crystal Palace and has made a good career now.
a Hea s not the target man anymore, hea s more a midfielder or second striker and, because hea s a real team player, that position suits him very well.
a I always loved him because of his team attitude. He was a hardworking type of player. In the end he didna t play and you have to give the players a chance to go somewhere and play.”
Arsene also talked about racism in football, following the incident in Paris where Chelsea fans didna t let a man enter a train because of the colour of his skin.
a More intelligent people than myself think about that and nobody has found a miraculous solution,a Arsene said. a It certainly starts from childhood education and an open-minded attitude.
a It looked pathetic and dreadful. Unfortunately we always have a recurrence of that. You have to be extremely severe with any incident of that calibre.
a There is a danger of having radical people in every society. Since I observed youth movements, there are always certain people who are ready for radical solutions and most of the time you have to control them.a
