Wenger won’t make deadline day moves

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s squad strength means he has no need to make any last-ditch signings in the January transfer window. 

The Gunners, who thrashed top-flight rivals Southampton 5-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, are second in the Premier League.

A sign of their strength in depth was that veteran French manager Wenger, in charge of Arsenal since September 1996, was able to make several changes to his starting line-up against the Saints.

Theo Walcott scored a hat-trick against his former club, with Danny Welbeck adding the Gunners’ other two goals as Wenger rested the likes of Petr Cech, Laurent Koscielny, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. 

Those four players are all set to return for Tuesday’s league match against Watford, where Arsenal will look to close an eight-point gap to leaders Chelsea. 

Wenger, who will be serving the second of a four-match touchline ban against the Hornets at the Emirates, told Arsenal fans not to expect any new arrivals between now and Tuesday’s 2300 GMT transfer deadline. 

“It’s not only to buy players, you have to have a need in your squad first of all,” said Wenger. “I believe that number-wise and quality-wise, we have what is required to do well. 

“Now it’s down to us to perform and to produce with the quality of our focus, the quality of our ambition and desire to produce the performance in every single game.” 

The only player Arsenal have brought in during the transfer window is 20-year-old defender Cohen Bramall, who joined from non-league Hednesford Town for £40,000 (46,000 euros, $48,500). 

And Wenger forecast there would be few moves elsewhere before the transfer window shut. “(It will be) very quiet. On our front, we have a big squad,” he said. “We are not in need of buying. 

“On a general front it has been very quiet. That shows that there are not many players available who can strengthen English teams. “It also shows that all the teams in England, especially the big teams, have big squads. 

That’s why not a lot happened.” Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been linked with a move to north London side Arsenal but only “because he is French,” said Wenger. 

“And maybe there are some noises that he would leave Madrid, but as I just told you, there is no need for us to buy any strikers,” he added. “In the summer window? That’s not my worry at the moment. My worry is the next game against Watford.”

- Vanguard

Conte wants Chelsea to deal Liverpool blow

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wants his Premier League leaders to inflict the “hard hit” of defeat upon Liverpool when the sides meet at Anfield on Tuesday. 

Conte’s men are currently 10 points in front of Liverpool, who have won just once in eight games in all competitions this month. 

While accepting that there will be 15 league games for both clubs after Tuesday’s match, Conte believes a Chelsea win would deal a huge blow to the title hopes of a Liverpool side who won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in September — one of just the Blues’ three league defeats so far this term. “
It could be a hard hit mentally for them (if Liverpool lose to Chelsea),” said Conte on Monday. 

“It’s important to win this type of game, increase your confidence, take three points from a rival,” added Conte, who took charge after coaching his native Italy at last year’s European Championship. 

“I hope to change the result if you compare the first game and the first part of the season.”

Chelsea’s loss to Liverpool was compounded with a defeat by London rivals Arsenal — the Blues’ visitors at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. 

Arsenal are currently Chelsea’s closest title challengers, with Arsene Wenger’s men presently eight points off top spot in second place. 

“It’s a very important week, but also I know after two of these games we have 14 games to finish the championship,” said Conte. “

The results are important, but the championship doesn’t finish after these two games.” Having let Chelsea play with a back four at the start of his time with the west London club, defeat by Arsenal led Conte to revert to his favoured 3-4-3 formation. 

Chelsea then embarked upon a 13-match winning streak in the Premier League which only ended at Tottenham Hotspur, another London side, on January 4. “

Honestly, I think we are a different team, not Liverpool. I think that we grew a lot,” Conte said. “After the game (against Liverpool) I said ‘today we faced a great team, a really great team, but today we are not a team. Only through work we can improve to become a team’. 

I think it happened. “We grew a lot and for this reason now we are top of the table. “It’s incredible this, because it’s not easy to have two defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal and to find the strength to start and to arrive top of the table and to have 13 wins in a row.”

- Vanguard