Wenger eyes title challenge

Arsenal boss out to defy critics

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 10th August 2007

Wenger eyes title challenge

Wenger: Young squad

Related links

Teams

Also see

Arsene Wenger is confident Arsenal can challenge for the Premier League title despite losing Thierry Henry.

Many are predicting that The Gunners will struggle to close the gap on Manchester United and Chelsea this season and may even be in danger of missing out on a UEFA Champions League place.

But Wenger thinks his new-look side has enough talent and ambition to push for silverware.

He said: "We have a great inner strength. I have a strong feeling that we will do very well this season, much better than people think.

"We are aiming at Manchester United and Chelsea and I am not afraid of that."

Wenger admits it will be difficult for anybody to replace Henry directly, but has urged his young players to each take more responsibility.

"He scored more goals for Arsenal than any other player in all of the club's history, in 130 years, so we will miss that, but we have a system of play and a strong belief and we will overcome that," he said.

"We have a great belief and the desire for success is very strong within the squad and we are very hungry and we have shown a great togetherness in our pre-season games so we are very strongly determined and I think we will make it very hard for everybody.

"What is magical in football is that it is a team sport and sometimes you find that personalities grow in the team and things change."

Open race

Wenger also expects the Premier League to be more competitive this season, after a number of clubs spent considerably over the summer.

"Not all of them will be successful in doing it, but one certainly will so there may be one or two additional contenders for the title."