BERND LENO has revealed how Freddie Ljungberg believes laughter is the best medicine for ailing Arsenal.
Ljungberg won his first game of his interim spell last night as the Gunners came from behind to win 3-1 at West Ham.
All smiles: Bern Leno says Freddie Ljungberg has lightened the mood at ArsenalCredit: Reuters
It was Arsenal’s first victory in TEN games – a miserable run which cost Unai Emery his job and has seen many sad faces both on the pitch and in the stands.
Keeper Leno said: “ From the first day he said he wanted to see laughing faces. He wanted to see a good atmosphere.
“But we had a bad time. You could see that we are all human. It’s not easy, it’s not like we didn’t try, but it just didn’t work.”
They may have won in the end, but nothing was working for Arsenal in a dire first hour at the London Stadium last night.
Follow our ARSENAL LIVE BLOG as the Gunners hunt for Emery’s replacement
That all changed in a nine-minute spell where Gabriel Martinelli, Nicolas Pepe and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck to overturn Angelo Ogbonna’s opener.
A half-time inquest led by Ljungberg was the catalyst for the turnaround.
Leno revealed: “You could feel in the first half that we had no confidence. But at half-time we talked to each other and said we had to change something.
“Freddie was talking. He was analysing. He was showing us some situations that we needed to play braver. We did exactly this.
“It’s a good feeling. I think we all missed this feeling.
“He was calm but in a very straight way. It wasn’t like everybody didn’t try. We tried. But you could feel that we didn’t play in a free way. I think he made us more free to play.
“You could see that in the second half. After the second and third goal, you could see how we can play, with more confidence.
“I think this is the real Arsenal.”
Leno hopes the victory gives the Gunners a welcome shot in the arm as they look to climb the table in the coming weeks.
They are currently in mid-table, two points off fifth and seven off Chelsea in fourth – though they host champions Manchester City on Sunday.
First they travel to Standard Liege where they will hope to earn safe passage to the Europa League knockout stages.
Ljungberg will be hunting another victory to build momentum and add to his credentials for landing the manager’s role on a full-time basis – as unlikely as that seems.
Leno added: “I don’t know what the club is deciding or what they are going to do.
“Now we have to focus only on now. Freddie is doing a very good job. The team know about his quality, about the way he wants to play.
“We want to play like this, with possession, keeping the ball, pressing very high and also with transition.
“We focus on now and the other things are not our decision, it’s a decision of the club.”
Freddie Ljungberg, speaks about his side’s performance against West Ham after Arsenal cruise to their first win under the Swede
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
