Wenger pays Burnley tribute

Arsenal boss relieved to make it through

By Lewis Rutledge   Last updated: 6th January 2008

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Wenger: Impressed by Burnley

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Arsene Wenger was full of praise for Burnley after Arsenal's 2-0 victory over the Championship side in the third round of the FA Cup.

Kyle Lafferty headed against the crossbar after just a few minutes and Burnley were made to rue the miss moments later when Eduardo da Silva scored.

Arsenal then had to withstand long periods of Burnley pressure before Nicklas Bendtner sealed their passage to the fourth round with a late strike.

Wenger admits he was surprised and impressed by Burnley, and relieved to come through the test.

He told Sky Sports News: "It was better than I expected from Burnley. They played very well, very positively, and with a high tempo as well.

"We needed to be on our toes and the difference certainly was that they didn't score their early chance and we did.

"From then on we were in a more comfortable position but we missed a second goal.

"Credit to them, they played an excellent game, not just in terms of commitment but also technical quality."

Still a priority

Wenger made several changes to his side, resting the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Emmanuel Adebayor, William Gallas and Gael Clichy.

But he was happy with his side's performance, and insists the FA Cup remains a priority.

He explained: "We had a very strong team out, despite the fact that we rested a few players. If you look at the players there were many internationals on the pitch.

"We are Arsenal and we want to win every game. Your priority is always the next game and we promised ourselves to give absolutely everything from the first day of the season to the last."

Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League but Wenger has not allowed himself to think about winning the Double.

He said: "We will try but it is very early in the season. This is only our first round and there is still a long way to go in the Championship."