‘I need success’ admits Wenger after Kroenke talk

Arsene Wenger met Stan Kroenke for the first time on Thursday and the Arsenal boss did his best to reassure the club's new majority shareholder that he is the man to take the Gunners forward.

Kroenke, who earlier this week completed a deal that gives him a 63 per cent controlling stake in Arsenal, will be at the Emirates on Sunday to watch his new club host Liverpool in a match the Gunners must win if they are to keep alive their title aspirations.

Four days later Arsenal travel to Spurs in another challenging fixture and Wenger will be aware that Kroenke is a man who has little time for failure. "I have a responsibility to bring success to the team, to be consistent at the top and to manage the club well," admitted Wenger, whose future is being openly discussed by Arsenal fans dismayed at the club's recent slump in form. "For me it is important as well that everybody inside the club does what they are responsible for. My focus will be on ensuring the team has a successful run in to the end to the season. We have a lot to play for."

Indeed Arsenal do. After a miserable March in which the club lost to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Barcelona and suffered FA Cup humiliation against Manchester United, the Premier League is their only chance to end a six-year drought of silverware.

Victory against Liverpool on Sunday will close the gap on leaders United to four points but any other result will likely scupper Arsenal's title chances with only six games left in the season after this weekend.

At least Wenger was able to report to Kroenke that a couple of his big names should be back in action on Sunday. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has recovered from a broken finger sustained five weeks ago against Barcelona and defender Johan Djourou is training again after injuring his shoulder in the FA Cup defeat to Manchester United.

Meanwhile Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is promising to make life uncomfortable for the Arsenal back four on Sunday, as he did in November when he scored the only goal of Newcastle's 1-0 defeat of Arsenal at the Emirates.

Carroll scored twice for the Reds on Monday – his first goals for Liverpool since signing from Newcastle in January in a £35m deal – and the 22-year-old wants to inflict more pain on the Gunners on Sunday. "All the Newcastle lads played well that day and there's no reason why Liverpool cannot win there," said Carroll. "The lads are confident we can beat Arsenal. We need to work hard to close them down and make sure we don't give them space or time on the ball, because we know what a good side Arsenal are and what they can do if you allow them to do that." ·