adminLONDON. — Jack Wilshere is convinced Arsenal will bounce back from their European soccer disappointment when the English Premier League leaders bid to cement their position at the top against managerless Crystal Palace today.
Arsene Wenger’s team suffered their first defeat in 13 matches in all competitions on Tuesday as Robert Lewandowski’s late goal gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 Champions League group stage win at the Emirates Stadium.
But the Gunners, currently two points clear of second placed Chelsea, have a golden opportunity to erase the bitter memory of their first loss since the opening day of the season when they travel to face crisis club Palace at Selhurst Park.
Palace parted company with boss Ian Holloway in midweek following a 4-1 thrashing by Fulham that left the south London club second bottom of the table with seven defeats in their eight league matches.
Keith Millen will take charge on a caretaker basis this weekend, but England midfielder Wilshere, who hopes to recover from a recurring ankle injury in time to feature against the Eagles, warned Arsenal have no intention of showing any sympathy for Palace’s plight.
“We can’t let this result affect us now, especially in the Premier League where we are on a great run,” Wilshere said.
“It will be tough away at Palace, it always is, they will fight for every ball and it will be a different game from Dortmund, but we still have to bounce back straight away.”
Per Mertesacker has warned Arsenal must learn from their midweek Champions League setback if the Premier League leaders are to sustain their impressive start to the domestic campaign.
With second-bottom Palace without a manager following the departure of Holloway, the odds are stacked heavily on Arsene Wenger’s side securing the win that will guarantee they maintain their place at the top of the table.
Arsenal will be hoping to reproduce some of the thrilling forward play that illuminated their 4-1 home victory over Norwich City last weekend.
But centre-back Mertesacker believes there is plenty of room for improvement.
The Germany international said: “We know we are on a good run, but we know it needs more than just playing with full freedom and vision.
“We need to defend first and then we can switch the rest on. You have seen what can happen after that.”
Arsenal’s strength so far this season has been the form of their midfield playmakers following the arrival of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid.
Ozil had a quieter game than usual against Dortmund but Mertesacker believes his Germany teammate is already part of something special.
“Tomas Rosicky came in and fitted into everything as well as Mesut Ozil or Jack Wilshere. When those three combined together, you could feel some magic in the air, a real chemistry.”
Spain midfielder Santi Cazorla is confident Ozil’s influence upon Arsenal will continue to grow as the title race begins to take shape.
“As the days go by we have a better association on the pitch,” said Cazorla of club record-signing Ozil, who arrived at the north London side for £42.4 million from Real Madrid on transfer deadline day.
“Mesut is a player of a different kind. He is a joy to watch and has a lot of talent.
“Like (Zinedine) Zidane or Ronaldinho, he can be one of those players who marks an era.”
Mathieu Flamini was rested midweek but the Frenchman’s expected return to the midfield should add more steel to Wenger’s side.
However, Wilshere could miss out if his ankle problem proves worse than first feared.
Palace have had a traumatic week with Holloway’s departure coming after a 4-1 home defeat by Fulham — the Eagles’ seventh defeat in their opening eight league games.
Holloway left following discussion with club chairman Steve Parish, insisting he had been left drained by his efforts to kick-start the club’s campaign.
The former manager also criticised the efforts of some Palace players and the task of galvanising the squad will now fall to Millen, previously Holloway’s assistant.
Millen — who will be helped by veteran striker Kevin Phillips — insists he has no ambition to fill the job on a permanent basis, with former Stoke manager Tony Pulis emerging as the early favourite to become Palace’s next full-time boss.
“It’s a fresh start,” Millen said. “I have no personal issues with the lads, I’ve enjoyed working with them.
“I want a reaction, of course I do and the club and the fans need a reaction. I think you’ll see it on Saturday.
“We can stay up, without a doubt, but we’ve got to start somewhere. We’ve got plenty to play, but we’ve got to get the group united because if you don’t have the best players then you need good spirit and you need them to believe.
“The new manager needs to add that. But I feel there is enough quality to get the points to stay up.”
In the unlikely event that Arsenal do drop points at Palace, Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea could go top if they beat fourth placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Blues romped to a 3-0 win at Schalke in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Spanish striker Fernando Torres scoring twice after being selected ahead of Samuel Eto’o.
Mourinho’s men are unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions and have scored 14 goals in their last four fixtures, but Torres believes there is still room for improvement for both him and his team.
“We’re building up. There’s many more good things to come,” he said.
“Hopefully we can see the best Chelsea from now until the end of the season.
“Individually it is the same, the last few games I feel very sharp. I will continue to work hard because the important games are still to come.”
City’s midweek Champions League win at CSKA Moscow was marred by racist abuse hurled at the club’s Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure by sections of the crowd in Russia.
Uefa have charged CSKA over their fans’ behaviour and City will hope Toure, who was quick to condemn the supporters, can focus on helping his side at the Bridge.
“We won and we were good, so I am happy about that, but actually I am sad because the reaction of the fans was unbelievable,” Toure said.
“I don’t understand in football why we have that. It is not in volleyball or rugby, just football.”
Third-placed Liverpool, two points behind the leaders, host West Bromwich Albion knowing a victory would keep them firmly in contention at the top before a crunch clash at Arsenal on November 2.
Manchester United have endured a troubled start to life under new manager David Moyes and they face Stoke at Old Trafford already eight points off top spot.
Fixtures
Today (all 4pm unless stated): Aston Villa v Everton, Crystal Palace v Arsenal (1:45pm), Liverpool v West Brom, Manchester United v Stoke, Norwich v Cardiff, Southampton v Fulham (6:30pm)
Tomorrow (5pm unless stated): Chelsea v Manchester City, Sunderland v Newcastle (2:30pm), Swansea v West Ham, Tottenham v Hull
English Premier League table
P W D L F A Pts
Arsenal 8 6 1 1 18 9 19
Chelsea 8 5 2 1 14 5 17
Liverpool 8 5 2 1 13 7 17
Man City 8 5 1 2 20 9 16
Spurs 8 5 1 2 8 5 16
S Hampton 8 4 3 1 8 3 15
Everton 8 4 3 1 12 10 15
Man Utd 8 3 2 3 11 10 11
Hull 8 3 2 3 7 9 11
Newcastle 8 3 2 3 11 14 11
Swansea 8 3 1 4 12 11 10
West Brom 8 2 4 2 7 6 10
Aston Villa 8 3 1 4 9 10 10
Fulham 8 3 1 4 9 10 10
West Ham 8 2 2 4 8 8 8
Stoke 8 2 2 4 4 7 8
Cardiff 8 2 2 4 8 13 8
Norwich 8 2 1 5 6 13 7
C Palace 8 1 0 7 6 17 3
Sunderland 8 0 1 7 5 20 1 — AFP.
Online Reporter