Silvestre striking out for Rome with Arsenal
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Article summary
Defender Mikaël Silvestre was delighted to see his first UEFA Champions League game with Arsenal FC end in triumph at Fenerbahçe SK, saying: "Our aim is to play the kind of football that can take us to the final."
Article top media content

Article body
Defender Mikaël Silvestre was delighted to see his first UEFA Champions League game with Arsenal FC end in triumph at Fenerbahçe SK, concluding: "Our aim is to play the kind of football that can take us to the final."
European comeback
Stepping into an injury-ravaged side for only his second Arsenal game since his move from Manchester United FC in the summer, the former French international was delighted to see his inexperienced team-mates hit peak form despite the usual hot-house atmosphere in Istanbul. "We knew we could score goals here but we didn't expect to score five," he conceded. "It's always hard to score early goals but we managed to do that here. Despite conceding goals Fenerbahçe kept coming at us and caused us problems."
Fàbregas impresses
The 31-year-old, who was tasked by coach Arsène Wenger with setting an example to his younger team-mates, feels that the experience of such a match can only have done Arsenal's next generation of stars good, and was particularly impressed with Spanish midfielder Cesc Fàbregas, who set up both of his side's early goals. "Everybody knows about the quality of his passes," said the former Stade Rennais FC and FC Internazionale Milano player. "I knew he would make a difference for us and he had a good game."
Own goal
Victory spared some of Silvestre's embarrassment after he scored an own goal in the 19th minute, and having helped United win the UEFA Champions League last season, he is eager to reach the final again this time around with his new side. "We are looking to guarantee that we finish top of this group as early as possible so that we can get ready for the next step," he said, as he pondered the Stadio Olimpico finale to this season's tournament. "Our aim is to play the kind of football that can take us to the final."
Diaby delighted
The 22-year-old Abou Diaby, who made his first UEFA Champions League appearance since March and scored Arsenal's third goal, added: "Tonight we showed a good character. The team played very well and we want to continue this form for the next game. The result is a nice sign of our attacking quality. It wasn't easy to score five goals. It is promising for the future."