'We prepared for a difficult pitch but still had the chances'
Wigan Athletic 0-0 Arsenal
Barclays Premier League
On the pitch...
"If you asked me if I would like a better pitch then I say yes. Wigan fought very well and I don't want to take anything away from their performance. But frankly the pitch is a disaster. It is disrespectful for the fans who come and pay money to see the game."
On whether there is an excuse for it...
"The excuse is they have a rugby team who play on the pitch. Unless the groundsman is sick, I don't know."
On the nature of the game...
"It was a difficult game and we were focussed. We prepared ourselves mentally to face a difficult pitch and we still had the chances to win the game. Overall we did what we could and gave everything. We had a serious defensive game and we did not give any chances away. Wigan deserve credit too because they fought very hard."
On the belief Wigan gained as the game went on...
"As we did not score the first goal they did not come out. They jumped off their seats with 0-0 at 90 minutes. They were happy with a point. We did score and as long you do not score you are in danger of conceding and them not coming out at the back."
On coming down from the win at Milan...
"It is an anti-climax when you go from Milan to Wigan. And we prepared for that. It is normal because there's the glamour of a Champions League game when you play against one of the biggest side in the world. Then five days later you play against a team who fights not to go down. It is normal. I don't think that is offending Wigan. It is just the normal life of the a team who are going for the Champions League and the Premier League. We have to deal with that, it is not an excuse. We did what we could. We just lacked the spark in the final third, Wigan defended well and Kirkland did the rest."
