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Arsenal's Wenger relaxed about goal drought left by van Persie

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not worrying about his side failing to score in their opening two Premier League outings.

The Gunners have been held to scoreless draws by Sunderland and Stoke City on the first two weekends with the attack not yet functioning in the absence of Robin van Persie.

Wenger's side has struggled for fluidity up front since their former star left for Manchester United but the Frenchman is confident that new strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, and the teams other attackers, can regularly get on the scoresheet once they adjust to Premier League life.

"If you want to convince me that we lost an exceptional player you are wasting your time. I was the first to say that," he said of van Persie.

"We have to find a way to get around that by sharing more of the goals than we did before with van Persie. Giroud scored 20 (last season), Podolski scored 20.

"We will get some goals I'm convinced from (Abou) Diaby, (Aaron) Ramsey, (Theo) Walcott, Gervinho, so we have of course to share it around a bit."

He added: "I had the same questions when Thierry Henry left as Robin van Persie. Even last year I had to answer, 'Why you play van Persie as a centre-forward because he's not a centre-forward?'

"You have to put all this into perspective, and what for me is positive is you feel that there is potential there."

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Andrew Slevison
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