Arsenal legend and former Sweden international Freddie Ljungberg won the Premier League twice with the Gunners, and was part of the 2003/04 team that went unbeaten for 38 games. Now a youth-team coach for the London club, he took time out of bringing through the next generation of Invincibles to discuss summer spending, sleeping-bag coats and this weekend's Premier League talking points
Freddie Ljunberg on...
...Life at the EmiratesEverybody knew Arsenal were looking for some players in the summer and English teams had a lot of money, so I felt like everybody just cranked up their prices like no tomorrow. But in the end we got the players we wanted and now the squad is settled. We had the Euros in the summer so it was very hard getting the rest needed otherwise in the winter months you’re just going to break down with muscle injuries so you try to get that rest period even if it affects the team for the first two or three rounds of the league. They are all back now and I think it’s going to look good, very good. We were second last year so I hope we are going to win it this year.
...This weekend's Arsenal v Chelsea London derbyOf course, I think we’re going to win the game. We’re well prepared for it. It’s going to be a tough one as they’re very good – we’ll see. I think [over the season] we're going have to look out for Chelsea. I’ve heard, for example, that their pre-season was the hardest they’ve ever done. That maybe means they're going to be a lot fitter at the end of the season than some other clubs, particularly in January and February when it starts to get tough. And they'll be getting strong – so we’ll see.
...His former club West Ham's travails[Manager Slaven Bilic] did an absolutely amazing job last year. They surprised people with how good they did, and sometimes I feel players, when they do something great like that, think they don’t have to put in 100 per cent and that it’s enough for 95 per cent because they were so good the year before and mentally they are not as strong. It’s the same [reason why] it’s difficult to win the Premiership twice in a row, because you’re not giving it as much. From what I’ve seen, it's small things like that and they just need to get back to where they were last season and work as hard. I think they’ll come back – he's is a great coach, and they have good players. As well they changed stadium and that’s a new environment; I don’t know if that plays with them.
...The players of the season so farAlexis Sanchez is in form – 100 per cent. And I always like Kevin De Bruyne – he’s the other standout player of the season.
....taking over from Arsène Wenger and wearing that coatHave you seen my height? I’d look like a penguin.
Freddie Ljungberg was speaking at the TAG Heuer Premier League Pressure Test. TAG Heuer is the first ever Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the Premier League. tagheuerpressuretest.com
