Arsène Wenger has sense of crucial momentum building for challenges ahead

Target man: Luis Suarez of Liverpool tangles with Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta (Liverpool FC via Getty)

For Arsène Wenger, the quality of the performance was as important as the quantity of points gleaned. The Arsenal manager feels that the nature of acommanding 2-0 win over Liverpool, as much as finally winning a big game, will also win over their critics.

"We needed to respond today," Wenger said. "We had to convince people we can win these big games. To win it in such a convincing way was even more important. I'm always confident but of course it's a long way to go. It was an important week for the team and the club, and no one would dispute we deserved to win this game.

"We had a good solidarity, a good focus, and I believe we have plenty of other big games coming up and we can do well in them."

It is that sense of momentum that may yet have the greatest effect. Indeed, after the difficulty of the last two defeats in successive big games against Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea, the most striking aspect of this performance was how easy Arsenal made it look.

They were a class above Liverpool. The quality of the two goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey was further illustration of their fine mood. Unlike so many previous Arsenal sides of the last eight years, this does not seem one that will have their confidence so severely damaged by adverse results.

"You could see today that there's a good solidarity in the group. We live in a world where we have to be questioned, where you are questioned, and the only response you can give is on the football pitch. That's part of our job."

Before the game, so much of the attention was on Luis Suarez. By the end, he was rendered as ineffective as the rest of Liverpool's attack by Arsenal's supreme collective display.

"Ramsey is playing well, but the whole team – you cannot single anyone out today. Our defensive performance was outstanding and kept [Daniel] Sturridge, Suarez, [Steven] Gerrard, Coutinho and [Victor] Moses quiet, and our defenders deserve a lot of credit as well."

That range of fine performances may prove crucial, as Wenger may have to do without Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The England midfielder was left out of the Liverpool game because of an inflamed ankle, while the left-back went off after 78 minutes with a calf problem.

Wenger stated he will have to wait until Wednesday to assess Wilshere's availability, but he doesn't yet "know how bad" Gibbs's injury is.

Brendan Rodgers revealed that Glen Johnson did not start because he was in hospital with an illness, but he said that he was hopeful that the right-back would be released last night. "Half an hour before I named the team, Glen had to pull out," he explained.

The Liverpool manager also acknowledged that it was the right result for the game. "We are disappointed with the result, but sometimes when you are beaten by a better team, you have to accept that. It was a game they deserved to win.

"They had greater control, but we were always in the game because of our ability to create chances," Rodgers said, but he added: "I think we've got a long, long way to go before we're looking to compete consistently. We've got a great bunch of players who are working very hard. It's modern football.

"We won a game last week with a terrific performance, 4‑1, against [West Bromwich Albion] a team who had drawn with Arsenal. Expectancy was high. Now it'll be a bit more realistic. But our ambition is to be up there in the top four. It's a huge challenge, but one we're looking forward to taking on. We'll need some luck along the way, on decisions and keeping players fit."