Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: We cannot drop our motivation levels due to Carling Cup defeat

Carling Cup Final,Wojciech Szczesny,Arsenal vs Birmingham City

Related Links

Teams

Players

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reminded his players that the club are still fighting on three fronts this season despite losing in the League Cup final on Sunday.

The Gunners lost 2-1 to Birmingham at Wembley with Obafemi Martins’ winner coming in the 89th minute from a huge mistake between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and Laurent Koscielny.

Wenger told his players that they can’t afford a ‘Cup hangover’ and he expects the team to bounce back in their FA Cup Fifth Round replay against Leyton Orient on Wednesday evening.

Speaking to a branch of the club’s media, Arsenal TV Online, Wenger said: “Of course, there is disappointment in the dressing room but the players are united, have a strong bond and are determined to go for the massive challenges we have in front of us.

“We cannot let our motivation level or our confidence level drop because of that because of the massive targets we have in front of us.

“We have much higher targets than the Carling Cup, even though we would have loved to have won it. We all agree about that.
 
“We are in a massive race in the championship, we have an opportunity to qualify in the FA Cup and we have won the first leg in the Champions League [against Barcelona].”