Arsene Wenger secret recipe sees Arsenal back among the big boys with Everton win

Arsene Wenger's side this week announced themselves as bona fide title contenders this week

WHATEVER the ingredient, Arsene Wenger's numerous team meetings are producing a magic elixir.

 

"I cannot tell you absolutely everything," he smiles conspiratorially following a win against Everton to end a satisfying week.

But whatever his secret, Wenger has certainly got "luxury" players such as Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla tackling back for the collective cause.

"You need to convince the players that you have to work hard to win football games in the Premier League and that you need all eleven to do that," said Wenger.

 

"They are all on board, and they have the belief. They came off the pitch really tired. Cazorla won many balls and blocked many tackles, even Ozil.

"Once you have that in the team, it is not easy to get it, but is shows the belief is there and then you need enough humility to keep it in there.

"I think the attitude at the top level is how can we improve? We learn from defeat, we learn from wins and to learn from wins sometimes is more difficult because it's less natural."

 

Olivier Giroud has not been able to rest on his haunches, as he and Theo Walcott fight for a start

It is when he is pressed on how exactly this state of Nirvana is achieved that Wenger suddenly becomes coy. In the end it is opening goalscorer Olivier Giroud who lets the cat out of the bag about the extra team meetings.

"I think we are stronger mentally this year," he said. "We are all fighting for each other. We have a great togetherness and we want to achieve big things altogether.

"We are showing a lot of leadership, we have team meetings and we all want to contribute and bring qualities to the big matches. We are all looking in the same direction and we know we need to be 100 per cent in every game.

"If someone is a bit tired then someone else will battle and fight for each other. That's the mentality we need to show through the season. If we carry on like that then we will be difficult to beat, especially with our efficiency."

 

Laurent Koscielny added the second Arsenal goal within two minutes of the first and the one real complaint about Arsenal was a gung-ho carelessness that allowed Ross Barkley to make life less comfortable than it might be with a return strike on the counter as the Gunners pushed forward unnecessarily just before the break for a third.

Barkley himself continued to impress on the back of his growing international reputation.

"I took a lot of confidence from the England games," the 21-year-old said. "Playing for your country is a dream for any player. I took my club form into the England games and from there tried to take my form back to the club.

"As a young player, you need all the experience you can get and I'm getting it."

ARSENAL (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Bellerin 6, Gabriel 6, Koscielny 7, Monreal 6; Coquelin 7, Cazorla 7; Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 (Flamini 81), Ozil 8, Sanchez 7 (Gibbs 89); Giroud 9.

Booked: Coquelin, Giroud.

Goals: Giroud 37, Koscielny 39.

NEXT UP: Sheff Weds (a), Tom COC.

EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard 5; Coleman 6 (Kone 89), Stones 7, Jagielka 5 (Funes Mori 52, 6), Galloway 6; McCarthy 6, Barry 7; Lennon 5 (Mirallas 69), Barkley 8, Deulofeu 7; Lukaku 6.

Booked: Barry. Sent off: Barry 90. Goal: Barkley 44.

NEXT UP: Norwich (h), Tom COC.

REFEREE: L Mason (Greater Manchester).