Wenger Looking For Improvement Against Slavia Prague

Arsene Wenger is 58 today and will mark the occasion by watching Newcastle United take on Spurs on TV while planning Arsenal's Champions League assignment at home to Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

For his 58th birthday present, workaholic Arsene Wenger will be happy if his team produce an improved performance against Slavia Prague than the one which eventually disposed of stubborn Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

The manager of the unbeaten Gunners, top of the Premier League and turning their attentions back to Champions League business this week, said: “Maybe it’s my birthday, I honestly don’t know.

"I’m 58? Ow! That hurts.

“I have never really been a great one for celebrating birthdays. This year I will be at home, it will just be normal. I will have a little dinner and then watch Spurs.

“It will be a quiet night and I will just prepare for our game with Slavia Prague on Tuesday and watch the game. Annie [Wenger's other half] likes football too — to be honest she has to.

“There’s not much I really need. I have plenty of socks.”

Wenger is not one for relaxing, and he does not want his maturing team to relax either. On Saturday they toiled to break down Bolton's stout resistance in the first-half, when they were guilty of trying too hard to take on Bolton at their own game.

And Wenger said: “The only thing my team can give me for my birthday is to play better against Prague than they did against Bolton.

“You always want people to be better and I want my team to keep the spirit they have right now.

“It didn’t go well in the first half. Bolton went back to their old style which gave them success.

“I can understand it with their position. It wasn’t nasty but one or two tackles were bad.

“The players know we can escape bad tackles by keeping the ball moving quickly.”

Wenger turmed the game with the introduction of substitutes Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky on 62 mnutes.

Rosicky found the space that invited Ivan Campo's foul, and from the free-kick Kolo Toure fired Arsenal ahead after 67 minutes.

Then Walcott's good work on the right set up Rosicky for the second on 81 minutes.

After Slavia Prague at the Emirates on Tuesday, Arsenal take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.