Eindhoven matter gets Gunners over trauma

Arsenal's French manager Arsene Wenger gestures watching his side beat PSV Eindoven 1-0. Wenger was relieved to have finally exorcised the ghosts of last season's awful start to the Champions League.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was relieved to have finally exorcised the ghosts of last season's awful start to the Champions League.

The Gunners needed an own goal to overcome PSV Eindhoven at home, but were delighted to have got off to a winning start this time.

Last season, Wenger's charges clattered the first hurdle when Inter Milan shocked the Highbury faithful with a 3-0 win, and Arsenal took an age to recover their stride.

"I'm convinced the trauma of last season's start was still in our heads," Wenger said after watching his side win thanks to PSV centre-half Alex's 41st-minute intervention.

"We had played three games and got one point so it was really difficult psychologically to lift the players because we had to win the last three games. That was still in our memories.

"In the Champions League, when you start at home you go twice away afterwards and if you lose your first game you go away with the absolute necessity to win. That put us in a difficult position last year; now we are in a very strong position."

The Gunners have had a superb start to the Premiership season, scoring 19 goals in trouncing all five opponents and taking their unbeaten league run to an all-time record 45 matches.

But in their Champions League opener, the zest for another Highbury goal-feast took second place to ensuring maximum points ahead of the trips to Rosenborg and Panathinaikos.

"We are quite confident everywhere we go. Everyone makes us the super favourite, but there's little difference at this level, all the teams are good," the Frenchman said.

Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira (R) chases striker Gerald Sibon of PSV Eindoven. Vieira reckoned the match was a timely reminder that not every game can be a romp to victory.

"We want to play quality football and we believe the consequence is we win the game. I don't like boring football but I feel always you have to adapt your game to your potential. We didn't have the petrol in the tank we needed to play our game, so we kept the ball."

Arsenal and France captain Patrick Vieira reckoned the match was a timely reminder that not every game can be a romp to victory.

"It's done us good to win a match 1-0, a very difficult match and we're very happy to get three points," the World-Cup-winning midfielder told AFP.

"In the Champions League the teams are better technically and teams play on the ball a lot more and in general concentrate on keeping the ball down.

"Against PSV we've played against a team which was very good technically, who play well on the ball.

"We're delighted to have won because we're playing at home and we took three points. The next two matches are away from home and from that perspective it's better to come back to the Champions League with some points."

Vieira is thrilled with the way his team has hit the ground running on all fronts.

"It's been a very, very good start. We've had five straight wins in the Premiership and won our first Champions League match - but this is only the start," he added.

The Arsenal captain might have been being modest, but Bolton Wanderers might take that as a stark warning ahead of Saturday's clash at the Reebok.