Samir Nasri: 'Arsenal need to learn how to win ugly'

'You don't always have to play good football to win'
Nasri aims to show move to Manchester City was right
Samir Nasri of Manchester City
Manchester City's Samir Nasri says the fans will see a better player now he has settled at the club. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Samir Nasri has suggested Arsenal's inability to "win ugly" is why it will now be seven years since they last won a trophy. Ahead of Manchester City's Europa League tie against Porto on Wednesday, the Frenchman vowed to show his move from Arsenal was not a mistake following an indifferent start to his career at the Etihad Stadium.

Arsène Wenger's Arsenal side were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday and are unlikely to progress in the Champions League after losing 4-0 at Milan in the opening leg of their last-16 tie.

Nasri, who joined City for £24m in the summer, said: "Sometimes it's good to win ugly, you don't always have to play good football to win. Arsenal play good football but after seven years they don't win so that's difficult for them but they have a good philosophy. I know they'll find some solution."

Asked if Arsenal's result at San Siro confirmed Nasri had made the right choice in moving to City from the Emirates, he said: "No. I don't want Arsenal to fall down. I want them to win the FA Cup or something because I have respect for the players and the manager. I know from the start that I made the right choice. We are top of the league, and still there in the Europa League. What Arsenal do doesn't matter."

Regarding his time so far at City, during which he has started only 15 league games, the Frenchman said: "It's always tough when you change, when you go to another team and have to be involved 100%, and I wasn't. Now I start to be settled and you will see a better Samir every week. You have to work when you don't feel well and not producing what everyone expects. I was always confident about my quality and you will see that."

Had he felt any pressure because of his price tag? "I never asked City to pay £24m so it's not me," the 24-year-old said. "It was a lot of money but every transfer now has a lot of money. What you want to do is to give something to the team and the people who bring you here and trust you. The money and everything isn't my problem.

"At Arsenal I was playing a little bit higher and here we are 4-4-2 so you have to work more defensively. Now I want to show everyone it wasn't a mistake."

Nasri, who believes a Europa League final against Manchester United would be a "dream final", urged Carlos Tevez to apologise if necessary for the striker to become part of the squad again. "I didn't speak with Carlos. I think he's an important player for us and for any team in Europe because he has quality," he said.

"I don't know what happened [between him and the club] but if he has to apologise he has to do that because then he will be in the squad. We need someone with that quality to win the Europa League and the Premier League, but it's up to Carlos and the club to deal with."

Despite Sheikh Mansour investing around £1bn since he bought the club in 2008 Nasri denied that money automatically equalled success, and he pointed to Chelsea who are owned by Roman Abramovich, a billionaire.

"It's not always true. Money doesn't buy team spirit, it's the players who come straight involved in the team and want to win something. Here we are hungry because we want to win titles. Chelsea have money and bought players and they haven't won the title [sic] so money doesn't buy this."