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Milan mauling haunts Wenger

Image: Arsene Wenger: Admits Arsenal suffered an 'off day' against AC Milan

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal's 4-0 defeat to AC Milan will haunt him for the rest of his life, but is quick to point out that now is not the time for self-pity.

Gunners boss looking for positive response to European setback

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal's 4-0 defeat to AC Milan will haunt him for the rest of his life, but is quick to point out that now is not the time for self-pity. The Gunners suffered the biggest European defeat of their illustrious history on Wednesday as they were ruthlessly swept aside by the reigning Serie A champions in the first leg of their last-16 showdown in the UEFA Champions League. Unsurprisingly, such a setback has posed a number of questions, with calls for a squad overhaul at the Emirates and the possible removal of Wenger from the managerial hot-seat doing the rounds. Wenger admits the mauling in Milan represents a considerable low in his 16-year reign at Arsenal, and is not a game he is likely to forget any time soon, but he is keen to see the club offer a positive response when they go to Sunderland in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday. "It never gets out of your system because you take it with you until the last day of your life," said the Frenchman. "You can find 100 explanations why we had a poor performance and an off day.

Punished

"We lost against a good Milan team, not an exceptional one. Unfortunately we were punished severely. "It is important not to dwell on that too much, instead focus on the next performance, respond in a positive way and ensure we have the mental qualities to be at this club. "We have put together a good series of results and we can consider that night was just an off day. "We are focused on what we have done well recently because we go into a battle now where we need confidence, belief and great commitment. "We are in fourth position in the Premier League and we have an opportunity to qualify for the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. "It is important that we are up for that and do not feel sorry for ourselves.
Attitude
"Not only is the FA Cup at stake, but so is the response and the mental attitude of our team as well. "I'm convinced that we will produce the response we need." The FA Cup offers Arsenal's last remaining hope of winning silverware this season, with the Premier League title and Champions League crown effectively beyond their reach. Wenger accepts the competition has taken on greater significance following the club's failure elsewhere. "It is more important now. It was always important. It is the next game and, because we had a big disappointment in the last game, it becomes more important," he said. "But the FA Cup was always one of my priorities and therefore coming off the Milan game it becomes even more important. "The team will be full strength. I will refresh it a bit because some players have played many games recently, but we will do the maximum to win this game."

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