Champions League | Arsene Wenger delighted with Arsenal's new-found defensive solidity

Champions League | Arsene Wenger delighted with Arsenal's new-found defensive solidity

The Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has praised the "focus" of his team as they overcame Borussia Dortmund 2 - 0 at the Emirates for once more to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.

The french was especially pleased that the North London club have learned their lessons from the defeat at home 2-0 Saturday to Manchester United in the Premier League, a match where the Gunners dominated but failed to take their chances before being caught on the counterattack.

However, after that France International hopes Yaya Sanogo had given Arsenal a second-minute lead, side Wenger killed the game as a contest at the beginning of the second half thanks to Chile to form Send ninth strike by Alexis Sanchez in his last eight games for the club and the country.

"Our goal to defend well together liked me more," said Wenger after the whistle full time. "I think that we had a game similar to the Saturday and we have really good focus does not to give all the chances and overall, it was a committed game and we were maybe better defensively tonight."

"We are a team that likes to go forward and sometimes, when I feel that we completely dominate a game we may be a bit of a victim of this and we forget to take the precaution of defend well, but I think that we learn as well through the games and we have better tonight. ''

Meanwhile, Wenger has also lost little time to highlight the contribution of its new £35 million of Barcelona recruit after Alexis scored his 13th goal for the club in just 20 games this season.

"Alexis gave this team an incredible fighting spirit, his class as well, it is a mixture of talent and desire, and this is what you expect from top players," said Wenger.

And attacking starlet Sanogo, who replaced the injured Danny Welbeck at the outset against Dortmund, also had warm words for his coach, with Wenger said: "I like what Sakala did tonight because we decided to go long on him.

"He very well protected the ball and he did on the first goal has been to class, his play in combination with [Santi] Cazorla, but unfortunately he is injured. ''

Indeed, shots picked up by Salah and Captain Mikel Arteta were the only black marks on an evening otherwise satisfactory for the North Londoners.

"Arteta calf injury also seems not good and all our wounds are very difficult to take on the Chin at the moment because we are entering many games and you need everyone is available, but I think that Arteta must be interrupted for a while," Wenger confirmed.

However, favorite veteran coach to focus on the achievement of his team to qualify once again for the phase to direct elimination of the Prime Minister of European club competition.

"I do not know how many times we are qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds,", said Wenger.

"This is something we want to do, to fight with the best and we only lost a game 2-0 at Dortmund and we won 2-0 today in the group stage, we have done our job and we now want to just focus on the Premier League and after waiting to see who we get in the draw to the fate."

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