Wenger woes worsen with Spurs loss
Source: Agencies |
October 4, 2011, Tuesday
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Print Edition
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JUST seven games into the English Premier League season, Arsene Wenger all but conceded an Arsenal title challenge after a 1-2 defeat at north London rival Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
A fourth defeat was compounded by a serious injury to France right back Bacary Sagna and Wenger was in a gloomy mood when asked about Arsenal's chances of competing at the top.
"At the moment we have to set ourselves a realistic target to get in touch with those teams who are fighting to stay in the Champions League," Wenger said at White Hart Lane.
"To say we will win the league is not realistic. We are 12 points behind Manchester United and Manchester City so it is not realistic today to say that we will win the league. We have to fight to come back into a much better position."
Sagna fell awkwardly under a challenge from Benoit Assou-Ekotto in the second half and after leaving the field on a stretcher he was diagnosed with a fractured fibula, according to the French Football Federation.
Since Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996, it has never finished outside the top four and has been a virtual fixture in the Champions League. But its worst start to a season under the Frenchman has now put its place among the elite in jeopardy.
Wenger was even asked whether he thought Arsenal, only two points above the bottom three, was in danger of a relegation battle.
"No," was his emphatic reply, although with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri gone and Jack Wilshere ruled out until after Christmas with an ankle injury, these are clearly worrying times at The Emirates.
The mood was not improved by the sight of Sagna leaving the ground on crutches although Wenger saw some encouraging signs against Tottenham, which won a fourth consecutive league match with goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Kyle Walker either side of Aaron Ramsey's equalizer.
"In the first half I felt we played a little but with the handbrake on," Wenger said. "Even playing like that we had four chances. At halftime we came out and had a go at them and got it back to 1-1.
"I felt again that we didn't push on enough and let them get back into the game. We lack a little bit of confidence at the moment, and we just need to protect a result when we have one."
Tottenham has gone from strength to strength since losing its opening two league games to United and City and is up to sixth place, three points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United with a game in hand.
Elsewhere, a Frank Lampard hat-trick inspired Chelsea to a 5-1 thumping of Bolton Wanderers though he was not the day's only hat-trick scorer as Fulham striker Andy Johnson hit three in a 6-0 rout of local rivals Queens Park Rangers 6-0 and Swansea City beat Stoke City 2-0.
A fourth defeat was compounded by a serious injury to France right back Bacary Sagna and Wenger was in a gloomy mood when asked about Arsenal's chances of competing at the top.
"At the moment we have to set ourselves a realistic target to get in touch with those teams who are fighting to stay in the Champions League," Wenger said at White Hart Lane.
"To say we will win the league is not realistic. We are 12 points behind Manchester United and Manchester City so it is not realistic today to say that we will win the league. We have to fight to come back into a much better position."
Sagna fell awkwardly under a challenge from Benoit Assou-Ekotto in the second half and after leaving the field on a stretcher he was diagnosed with a fractured fibula, according to the French Football Federation.
Since Wenger took charge of Arsenal in 1996, it has never finished outside the top four and has been a virtual fixture in the Champions League. But its worst start to a season under the Frenchman has now put its place among the elite in jeopardy.
Wenger was even asked whether he thought Arsenal, only two points above the bottom three, was in danger of a relegation battle.
"No," was his emphatic reply, although with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri gone and Jack Wilshere ruled out until after Christmas with an ankle injury, these are clearly worrying times at The Emirates.
The mood was not improved by the sight of Sagna leaving the ground on crutches although Wenger saw some encouraging signs against Tottenham, which won a fourth consecutive league match with goals from Rafael van der Vaart and Kyle Walker either side of Aaron Ramsey's equalizer.
"In the first half I felt we played a little but with the handbrake on," Wenger said. "Even playing like that we had four chances. At halftime we came out and had a go at them and got it back to 1-1.
"I felt again that we didn't push on enough and let them get back into the game. We lack a little bit of confidence at the moment, and we just need to protect a result when we have one."
Tottenham has gone from strength to strength since losing its opening two league games to United and City and is up to sixth place, three points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United with a game in hand.
Elsewhere, a Frank Lampard hat-trick inspired Chelsea to a 5-1 thumping of Bolton Wanderers though he was not the day's only hat-trick scorer as Fulham striker Andy Johnson hit three in a 6-0 rout of local rivals Queens Park Rangers 6-0 and Swansea City beat Stoke City 2-0.
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