Arsene Wenger: Lincoln City have quality and will win the National League

ARSENE WENGER knows Lincoln City will go on and win the National League and recapture their Football League status.

The Arsenal manager says Danny Cowley’s side will do just what his players have done and put a heavy defeat behind them.

The Gunners were quick to bounce back from their two leg annihilation against German champions Bayern Munich and Wenger believes the Imps have enough about them to do exactly the same.

“It was difficult, especially in the first half,” the Frenchman said after his side’s 5-0 win on Saturday. “They knocked out Oldham, Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley. I saw them against Burnley in fact, they were fantastic in that game.

“The first half they had a very direct game, but they had clarity. They had a vocal crowd right behind them, they were excellent. They have quality and yes, I think they will come up.”

Wenger said he had little choice but to play a near full-strength side, in part due to the respect he has for Lincoln and their players.

“We were a bit nervous when the confidence dropped last week,” the Arsenal manager added. “We were criticised after the Bayern Munich game, but overall we responded today.

“I didn’t want to gamble today. We knew how important it was to win the game, but I wanted the team to have the chance to get their confidence back. We kept nearly the same side, there was a lot we needed to prove and we had to be strong, and I think we were.

“They were hit very hard by that, but they didn’t let me down.”