Arsenal can't cope, says Chelsea's Grant
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Avram Grant last night turned up the heat on Arsene Wenger ahead of Sunday's showdown at the Emirates Stadium, claiming that Arsenal's squad cannot cope with injuries. The usually mild-mannered Chelsea manager, preparing for this evening's final Champions League group B game against Valencia at Stamford Bridge, believes his title rivals are beginning to buckle under the pressure of mounting injuries.
Grant, who has had to cope with a crippling injury list at Stamford Bridge since he replaced Jose Mourinho, said: "Since we beat Valencia (in October), we have won a lot of games and we have played better football — even with a lot of injuries. "It shows the character of the team. You see Arsenal when they have injuries and what has happened to them in the last couple of games. "The same happened to Manchester United at Bolton without Wayne Rooney. Even Liverpool, without Yossi Benayoun, lost at Reading."
Grant's surprising attack is the first time he has stepped out of the comfort zone since he replaced Mourinho, but he is clearly increasing in confidence. Chelsea qualified for the second round of the Champions League with a game to spare after their 4-0 win in Rosenborg at the end of last month. They are three points behind Arsenal in the Barclays Premier League.
Grant has had to contend with injuries to key personnel — including Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Ricardo Carvalho and Frank Lampard — but they are still in the hunt for four major trophies. The Chelsea chief added: "We have a big squad, but other clubs have big squads. We have used ours in the best interests of the club. "We have had a lot of injuries in a very short space of time, but the players have done what we needed them to do. "They have done everything we have asked of them. Carlo Cudicini, Andriy Shevchenko, the defenders and the midfielders have all come in and shown their quality. You can't ask for more than that." -
he should stfu! the one that talks big always lose!!
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i thought he is quiet, guess im wrong
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he's trying to play mind gamesOriginally posted by stellazio:he should stfu! the one that talks big always lose!! -
hao lian
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Originally posted by stellazio:he should stfu! the one that talks big always lose!!
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we shall see
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he might be rite....Originally posted by gunner77:i thought he is quiet, guess im wrong 
chelsea seem playing better attack's football now then before... -
speak for yourself Grant..looks like your team's already back to 1-0 ways...
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JM number 2
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ARSENE WENGER says his Arsenal youngsters have nothing to prove despite crashing to their first Premier League defeat of the season. The Gunners take on Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League at the Emirates tonight looking to deliver an improved display after SundayÂ’s 2-1 loss at Middlesbrough.
While Avram Grant insists his Chelsea team can handle injuries better than their title rivals, Wenger maintains his side has already overcome the loss of key stars and still delivered — which is why they are looking down on their rivals from the top.
The Arsenal boss said: “Our squad is very determined and very strong. “If we had listened to people at the start of the season we would be 10th or 12th and out of everything at this stage.
No coincidence
“But we are top and are involved in everything. It’s not a coincidence. We’ve had injuries but have still won games. “We lost the last game at Middlesbrough and we know we were not good and we now want to respond. “I feel we have shown our quality over the last six months and it’s not just about one game. One thing we have to show is how we respond to a defeat.”
Wenger will be watching from the stands as he serves a one-match touchline ban after his bust-up with the officials in Seville. Arsenal need to win tonight to stand a chance of topping Group H. And Wenger added: “You get a bit more protection in the draw if you top the group. Overall, it is an advantage to play the second game at home.”
Wenger will make a number of changes from the team which lost at Boro. Yet while fit-again Robin van Persie is likely to feature, he will be used only as a sub. Jens Lehmann is certain to play for the first time since the 1-1 draw with Blackburn on August 19, yet Wenger refused to rule out the possibility the keeper could be on his way out of the club next month.
Wenger said: “I can’t guarantee he will be here for the second half of the season but I can’t guarantee that for anyone. “I don’t know how you can talk about the long-term future of a 38-year-old. "We haven’t spoken about a new contract. At the moment, I just expect him to play in this match.
“Every goalkeeper can practis a bit but at some stage you need to play competitively. “Jens has been fantastic — you cannot fault him. This man has been super-professional. He is an example for everyone. “We need the three keepers to be competitive. If Jens plays well it does not create a problem.” -
shechenkov should be able to win it for chelsea.
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provided he can start scoring more goals now...Originally posted by HyuugaNeji:shechenkov should be able to win it for chelsea.