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Toure praises patched-up defence for Euro glory
Gunners in pole position to reach
Champions League semis
ARSENAL star Kolo Toure has hailed the patched-up Gunners
defence that has kept seven straight clean sheets in the Champions
League and helped to propel the team to within touching distance
of the semi-finals.
Another clean sheet in the second leg of their quarter-final
with Juventus in Turin on Wednesday would guarantee Arsenal’s
safe passage to the next round of a competition they have never
come close to winning before.
It would also beat AC Milan’s record of seven consecutive
Champions League shut-outs, equalled as Arsenal won 2-0 at Highbury
in their first match with Juventus on Tuesday night.
Toure said: “I’m happy with the record. We deserve
it. We have been working hard to get things right.
“The strikers work hard to defend as well now. It makes
our job easier. Even Thierry Henry as a striker works hard to
defend as well. To play against teams like Juventus is really
hard but we are defending well as a team.”
Arsenal’s defence has been hit with a series of injuries
this season. Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Lauren have been
long-term casualties, as have stand-ins Kerrea Gilbert and Pascal
Cygan.
But players who were once guaranteed a place in the starting
line-up are now facing a fight to get back in the team.
Toure, who twice popped up with rescuing tackles against Juventus
and has emerged as Arsenal’s most reliable defender, said:
“It has not always been easy but we have worked hard on
the training ground.
“Emmanuel Eboue is showing that he is a great talent already
and look at Mathieu Flamini, he has been put at left back because
we don’t have anyone else to put there and has done really
well. That shows how hard we work as a team.” |
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