Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes confidence is the reason behind the squad starting games so well this season.
The Gunners have managed to score four goals in the opening 15-minutes of games in the Premier League and also managed to bag two inside 15-minutes on Tuesday night during their 2-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League.
Many people suggest that scoring early is crucial for team’s and it makes the players settle into the match a lot quicker, but Wenger believes the players start games so fast because they are feeling so confident.
“We started at such a good pace because we had a remembrance of the Emirates Cup where they [Napoli] started very strong,” he told Arsenal Player.
“We knew on our side that it was vital for us to come out of the blocks in a very sharp way and it was successful. Of course you cannot plan that you score early goals but it worked well.”
This is quite the difference from last season, when Wenger’s men were considered a second-half team and the Frenchman has said that’s how football can change.
“It’s completely different,” he said. “That shows you how unpredictable the situations are but maybe it’s linked with the confidence.
“When the team has confidence they go into the game with a positive feeling and a positive attitude.The more you build that confidence up with the results, the more you go into the next game thinking let’s just do it to win the game.”
Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt
