AZ Alkmaar v Arsenal

IT IS surely no way to celebrate a 60th birthday, yet Arsene Wenger was unapologetic. “Thursday night is the Europa League with the fifth-referee system,” said the Arsenal manager, with a smile. “The referees are responsible for my ageing so I have to watch that.”

The Frenchman will spend the morning and the early part of the afternoon of his supposed special day at the club’s agm and, later, from the comfort of his living room in Totteridge, he will attempt to cram in as many matches as possible from Europe’s second-tier cup competition.

It has ever been thus. The passing of the years has done nothing to dilute Wenger’s obsessive streak, and you get the feeling that even if his birthday were to fall in the middle of July, he would still find games of some description on some obscure satellite channel to sate his appetite.

“Thursday will be very quiet,” he said. “I have nothing to celebrate.”

To Wenger, age is merely a state of mind. “People at 40 can be young physically but old mentally and, in this job, it helps that you never have any certainty,” he said. “You always question and you always have to question yourself. I believe that’s the basis of staying young in your head.”

He has not entertained the notion of retirement – “I would want to work as long as I lived, but adapted to my potential,” he said – and the vim and vigour of his current squad has helped to keep those fires burning.

“I am very excited about the future,” he said ahead of tonight’s Champions League Group H tie in the Netherlands against AZ Alkmaar. “I am in a job where you always look in front of you. Unfortunately, the older you get, the less distance there is in front of you, but football is exciting because when you have a team like I have now, it is absolutely exciting, because you know that we have potential and it’s down to me to get it out.”

Arsenal’s exciting start to the season, in which they have scored 27 goals in eight Premier League games, plus 10 in four Champions League ties, has brought a timely injection of belief.

To him, the thrill of the chase is everything; substance is nothing without style, and he believes his current team has the makings of his most exciting yet.

“In terms of goal potential, certainly,” he said. “We’ve shown that up to now and there are some offensive players who have not yet contributed, players like (Samir) Nasri, (Tomas) Rosicky and (Theo) Walcott. Eduardo (da Silva) and (Carlos) Vela have not played many games either.”

Robin van Persie, with five goals in his past six Arsenal appearances, was singled out for lavish praise. “I think Robin is a technical centre forward. He has that classy first touch, sharp movement and a short back-lift. I always thought he was more a first than a second striker.”

Arsenal travelled to the Netherlands without Walcott, who could be missing for up to a month after suffering knee ligament damage following a challenge by Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell on Saturday.

And winger Rosicky has also stayed behind in London nursing a minor knee problem, but full back Gael Clichy has shaken off the ankle knock which saw him sit out the Birmingham game.

An Arsenal victory over Alkmaar would all but ensure their progress into the knock-out rounds of the Champions League. Wenger has thoughts only for this landmark.

AZ boss Ronald Koeman is aware of Arsenal’s qualities but he has also noticed weaknesses in Wenger’s side.

“We know Arsenal are very good and we know what we have to do. It starts with self-belief. We must be at our best and for them to have an off-day.

“I saw their game against Blackburn and they could have scored 15 times! On the other hand, Blackburn had four excellent chances and scored twice.

“Arsenal, therefore, have defects. We must take the initiative, dominate possession and take the chances that come our way.”

Guardian Service