BERND LENO has praised Arsenal for ‘turning the corner’ from their shocking slump over the winter.
The Gunners won only one league game between early October and Boxing Day, leading to minor fears of a relegation battle.
Just before the turnaround, German goalkeeper Leno lamented the poor attitude of the squad.
He stated in December: “A lot of things are going wrong for us, the situation is getting heavier and our confidence is not at the top level.
“It hurts very much but this team is still alive and it’s not the time to feel sorry for ourselves.”
He added: “The attitude is bad, the discipline is lacking and we have no self-confidence. There are many factors at play here.”
But Leno, 29, has helped Arsenal bounce back to tenth in the table.
Victory over rivals Tottenham on the weekend left the Gunners five points off seventh place and the shot-stopper is dreaming of more European football next season.
He told Kicker: “In the autumn, we had big problems, a bad atmosphere.
“And we turned the corner.
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“Now we’re at least getting a taste of [qualifying for] the Europa League again. The Champions League will be very, very difficult.”
Arsenal have the chance to further boost their turnaround on Thursday when facing Olympiacos in the Europa League.
A 3-1 first-leg lead could make for a comfortable night in North London before the Gunners travel to high-flying West Ham on Sunday.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
