Portuguese star believes now is the time to play the Gunners.
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Fenerbahce midfielder Raul Meireles believes that right now is the perfect time to play Arsenal because the whole club is under such immense pressure, the Daily Mail reports.
The former Chelsea man believes that confidence within the Arsenal camp will be low following their opening day 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa, and with a number of off field problems to deal with, manager Arsene Wenger is trying to steady the ship, which may prove to be more difficult than most are hoping as the two sides prepare to meet the week in the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
The Gunners have injury problems too, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Bacary Sagna both being forced off at the weekend with bad falls, and with time running out for Wenger to replenish his numbers, Meireles has called on his teammates to finish the job early.
“You always have to give the opposition respect – but we know this is a good time to play Arsenal,” Meireles said.
‘They have not signed the players they wanted this summer, they have injuries, and confidence is low. It was a bad result for them at the weekend – and the pressure will be on them now.
“Over here (Turkey) the media are saying Arsenal are in crisis. I don’t think one loss means they are in crisis – but it is not the start of the season they would have wanted.
“The fans are putting the players and coach under pressure – and we must take advantage of that.”