by Nia Griffiths

Arsene Wenger has revealed that he’s pleasantly surprised by the positive reaction to the team during the pre-season Singapore tour.

The boss not only admitted he was astonished by the level of fan support, but also the high standard of training facilities and pitch we’ve been using. He also spoke about our impending match against Everton in the Barclays Asia Trophy and the increasing popularity of football all over the world.

The trip so far seems to have been a resounding success and for a man as well-traveled as Wenger to be shocked, that takes some doing.

Speaking to Arsenal Player, the boss said, “I must say that I’m surprised by the number of fans and overall the Asia Trophy is a good surprise for us because it was on a good pitch, good training facilities and the quality of the games has been surprisingly good at this stage of the season.”

The amount of fans is also something the players have been repeatedly tweeting about. It’s humbling for the players to see how far our club stretches and how much their visit means to the fans in Singapore.

Wenger went on to speak about Everton, saying, “The first half was very, very competitive between Stoke and Everton. The challenges were Premier League challenges and I expect that from Everton. They came out of a season where they did less well than the season before and they certainly want to start strong. They look focused and prepared.”

Finally, the boss added, “I’m quite surprised by the development of football and how important it has become all over the world. I started to play where you had to hide to celebrate that you were a football player and today it’s become more popular all over the world.”