Wenger satisfied with late draw

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger was grateful despite losing two points at home, following the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.<br>

كتب : Omar AbdelAziz

الأحد، 02 مارس 2008 - 13:52
Bendtner: match winner
Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger was grateful despite losing two points at home, following the 1-1 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.

The Gunners needed an equalizer from Nicklas Bendtner in the dying seconds of the game to deny the in-form Villa and avoid a first home defeat of the season.

Wenger hailed the 'psychological' result, especially after last week's disappointing draw at Birmingham, which was marred by Eduardo da Silva's horrific leg break.

"We played a very good Villa side and in the first half you could see there was a hangover from last week," he told Sky Sports.

"We had not completely recovered and were dominated by them technically and physically.

"In the second half we came back into it with our mental resources. We battled until the very last second and in the end we got what for me was a very good point."

The draw helped Arsenal keep their status on top of the table, but the gap with Manchester United was cut to one point.

"To lose would have been very difficult to swallow after what happened last week, but this point can provide impetus for the rest of the season," added Wenger.

"It is psychologically important as well that we did not lose, It shows the team never lies down."