As Arsenal FC cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Sunderland in the FA Cup third round match, manager Arsene Wenger has his sights set on a third straight silverware in the competition in as many years.
The Frenchman however was modest enough to admit that there is still a long way to go in the competition, and his team needs to put together a good run to get there.
“We have only one left to win [the FA Cup in three consecutive years]. We have done it twice. What I will say is we take this competition with a desire to do well in it and to try to win it,” Wenger was quoted as saying by . Arsenal FC’s official website. “It is a long way in the cup and you need a long run.”
Fixture congestion not a troubling factor
Arsenal FC had managed to end a long trophyless run by winning the FA Cup in 2014, and then following it up by defending their title in 2015. This time round, they are trying to win the competition for a third consecutive time.
However, Arsenal FC have been posing as serious challenge in the Premier League this season, and the fact that they are also in the UEFA Champions League means that the fixture schedule might turn out to be quite demanding for them. Some may say that Arsenal should prioritise over the three tournaments,but Arsene Wenger is not a man who would go for such things.
While Wenger admitted that the matches are coming on thick and fast at this time of the year, he did point out that there is light at the end of the tunnel, as a few of his key players are expected to return from their injuries quite soon.
“There is a little bit. But I believe that the next step is to get Rosicky back, Welbeck back, Sanchez back, Wilshere back and maybe we will get one player in,” said Wenger in the press conference. “Overall, I think we have no new injuries so Iai??i??m not worried. If we had the same number of injuries we would be a bit short.”