Dubai: Arsenal’s French defender Mathieu Debuchy believes it is a matter of time before the Gunners return to form as one of the top teams in Europe.
Debuchy was the main attraction at the Arsenal Football School at the Emirates Sevens ground on Friday morning, where he spent a couple of hours watching youngsters train the ‘Arsenal way’.
An ankle surgery sustained mid-September has left the the 29-year-old right back in the stands to watch his team squander good starts. A major blooper committed by the Gunners allowed Anderlecht to fight back from being 0-3 down to a 3-3 draw in the European Champions League. Last weekend, Arsenal allowed another slip when they squandered a 1-0 lead to lose 1-2 away to Swansea in a Premier League match.
Debuchy spent nearly ten seasons with French side Lille before joining Newcastle during the January transfer window last year. However, at the start of this season, Arsene Wenger roped in the versatile player.
Despite these shortcomings, the Frenchman who will be in Dubai until Monday, believes Arsenal can turn things around in the near future. “Arsenal is a big club and I am confident we can come back stronger. We do not set any limits for ourselves. We are always aiming high and the focus is always to finish the highest we can in the league,” he told media on Friday.
Injuries to key players, including his French teammate Olivier Giroud and influential playmaker Mezut Ozil have cut down Arsenal’s chances of being genuine contenders for trophies this season. But that does not worry Debuchy. “There is a huge sense of pride while wearing an Arsenal colour, so it hurts to see these results. But this club has quality and it won’t be long before we start believing and playing to our potential like champions,” he said.
Debuchy hoped he can be back on the field for Arsenal before the Christmas break. “It will be like an early Christmas gift for the fans,” he said.
After making his debut with the national team in 2011, Debuchy is also hopeful France can improve and peak as a team by the time Euro 2016 comes along. “We had a good World Cup in Brazil and it would have helped if we had advanced a bit more. But with the quality of players we have in the team, I am confident we can do well in the next big one [Euro 2016],” he said.
