Gunner: Many cup finals ahead

Koscielny remains buoyant

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny has dismissed suggestions that Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Premier League leaders Manchester City has brought the Gunners closer to another season without winning any silverware.

While Koscielny and his teammates now trail the Citizens by a massive 12 points and also suffered Carling Cup elimination at home to the same outfit a few days ago, they still have the Champions League and the FA Cup to fight for.

Many have written Arsene Wenger’s men off already, though, accusing them of lacking a winning mentality.

Koscielny was at the heart of such stingy criticism in February, when his mix-up with goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny gifted Birmingham City the decisive goal in a heartbreaking Carling Cup defeat at Wembley.

The Frenchman admits that wasting the opportunity to end the club’s trophy drought has been frustrating but has encouraged the team’s faithful to look forward to plenty of similar opportunities in the near future.

“I do think about it sometimes. It was hard for the fans and for the Club but life goes on. There are things more important than losing a final. There will be plenty more finals to play and win,” Koscielny told Arsenal’s official magazine.

The 26-year old added: “It was tough to swallow but it made me a better player and a better person. Afterwards, I had a week where I was feeling really bad.

“It was my first final and the club and the fans had been waiting for a trophy for a while. It was so hard to take. I needed time to digest it but I had to bounce back to come back stronger than I did.”

The Gunners return to Premier League action against Aston Villa tomorrow night before clashing with Leeds United in the FA Cup and AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League early next year.

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