Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was a relieved man after his team ended lingering doubts about their Champions League progression with a thumping 5-1 win over Rosenborg Trondheim on Tuesday.
The Group E victory at Highbury could have been even more emphatic if Arsenal had taken advantage of woeful defending by the Norwegians in the second half -- but Wenger was not complaining.
"The target was to qualify, and we did that tonight with five goals and by finishing top of the group and so I am very happy," he told a news conference.
"I set us three big targets this week, to beat Birmingham City on Saturday, to qualify tonight and to beat Chelsea on Sunday so we have achieved two out of three. As far as Europe is concerned, the job is done -- it would have been very hard for us if we had gone out tonight."
Arsenal went four matches in all competitions without a win before their 3-0 English Premier League success over Birmingham on Saturday, prompting talk of a crisis of confidence at Highbury.
Wenger shrugged that off, however.
"Maybe we were never as bad as you saw us," he said. "We have quality and belief and it was obviously important for us tonight to qualify. We want to be among the best in the world."
He also praised 17-year-old Spanish midfielder Francesc Fabregas, who scored a superb first-half goal to become the second youngest scorer in Champions League history.
"It was an excellent goal and a very dominant performance by a 17-year-old boy especially in the first half," Wenger said.
He refused to be drawn, however, on whether goalkeeper Manuel Almunia would retain his place ahead of Jens Lehmann for the top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
"I have not decided yet," he said.
Rosenborg coach Per Joar Hansen admitted there had been a big gulf in quality after his team had suffered their 15th defeat in 16 away Champions League matches.
"Arsenal showed us a level tonight we could not really reach and the match was all over by halftime," he said. "They ran faster, jumped higher and showed us how to hit the target and we made too many mistakes."
Rosenborg finished bottom of the group on two points.
© 2024 Rediff.com -