Ljungberg: We'll handle Euro pressure

By Richard Clarke

It is a big week for Arsenal and Freddie Ljungberg is relishing it

The Swedish midfielder was outstanding in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Birmingham at Highbury. It was a crucial victory; one that kept them in touch with leaders Chelsea and restored some confidence after an indifferent November.

Now for the next big week when Arsenal and Ljungberg entertain Rosenborg in a game that will decide their immediate Champions League fate and Chelsea in a top-of-the-table Premiership clash.

“I am looking forward to it,” beamed Ljungberg. “These are the games you want to play, the ones where you have to win. That is what football is all about. I like that little edge.

“Of course it depends how you look at it. If we lose there could be problems but I look forward to them and the team looks forward too. Qualify in Europe and get three points from Chelsea – that is how I approach them.

“We won in Kiev and we won in Milan. So normally we play quite well in the Champions League when we need to.”

It is a positive policy and one he adopted on Saturday against a Birmingham who arrived with defence in mind.

“It was quite tight and difficult,” he said. “They had five in the middle and just Heskey up front for the flick-ons. If you look back at the last couple of months almost all the teams have played like that at Highbury. We have got used to it. It was tight in the beginning but we have to be confident even if we don’t score.

“In the end it was 3-0. That is quite clear and with a clean sheet too. We have let some sloppy goals in but they were really resilient and that gives us confidence.”

It seems incredible to think a side that had just rattled up a record 49-game unbeaten run should be under-confident. According to Ljungberg, the problems were over-hyped.

“We lost against Manchester United and Liverpool but in 55 games that is all we lost,” he said. “It was really not much more than that but we still want to put things right.

“[During our run], we have been quite clear when we won. When you get some draws and concede some silly goals then you start to think about that. That is the good thing about the Birmingham game for us.

“We know there will be some pressure on us this week and there is no doubt you feel it but against Birmingham we showed character. Sometimes that is talked about that too much but today we showed it.

“Now we can get back to our best.”

[此贴子已经被作者于2004-12-7 16:39:38编辑过]