Arsene Wenger believes that games like the one at the Stadium of Light yesterday, coupled with the disappointment of not seeing their tilt at the title prove successful, will only stand his players in good stead.
"It was not easy to win at the Stadium of Light," he mused after Theo Walcott's strike midway through the first half sealed the Gunners' 24th Premier League win of the season– and tenth on their travels.
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Join the debate in our football forum"It is always difficult to play at your best when you're not going for something concrete, but we got another victory away from home and that is a good thing to get.
"For us, the game itself was mabye an anti-climax, but part of football is the way you do your job when it is less prestigious and less glamorous than it might have been.
"And I think that was something we did well – we didn't concede a goal and we should have scored more.
"I feel we can only be stronger next season. I think we have learned.
"When you are a winner, you go through a process where you have to lose to improve and that is what we have done."
Arsenal's victory secured a third successive league double over Sunderland, going back to 2002/03.
The full article contains 229 words and appears in Sunderland Echo newspaper.
