Wenger gets defensive over Arsenal’s fading soccer title challenge
March 24, 2008
Arsene Wenger fears Arsenal’s defensive shortcomings have ruined his side’s Premier League title challenge.
Arsenal’s failure to deal with a barrage of long balls in the closing stages at Stamford Bridge on Sunday allowed Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to score twice and clinch a 2-1 win that left the Gunners languishing six points behind Manchester United.
Wenger was surprised by the way his back-four failed to stand up to the battering, with William Gallas and Kolo Toure both culpable for Arsenal’s meltdown.
The French coach would love to get straight to work on the problem on the training ground, but the midweek internationals will deny him that luxury.
As if that isn’t bad enough, injuries to full-backs Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy could unsettle Wenger’s defence even further.
“It is a game we should have won but we have shown some lapses in concentration that we paid for,” Wenger said. “That is difficult to swallow because we played quite well and were in control of the game.
“I feel we have some defensive problems that we need to sort out. We gave an easy goal away against Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Defensively we lost control of the game.
“Overall the team played well but we got caught when Nicolas Anelka came on with the long balls and the physical battle.”
Arsenal have lost their nerve with the finish line in sight, failing to win any of their last five matches and Wenger knows they have handed Sir Alex Ferguson’s side the initiative.
“Of course it is a big setback when you add the four games we drew and then losing here,” he said. “I feel we have to come back to winning games before we dream of the title.
“I believe we have the strength but at the moment we are six points behind United. We have first to win our next game before we speak about the title. We have to become stronger defensively first.
“The players will be very disappointed because they gave everything but we go home with nothing. I feel Ferguson is the biggest winner.”
There could be no more bitter way for a purist like Wenger to surrender the title to his old adversary from Old Trafford as Arsenal allowed themselves to be battered by Chelsea’s rudimentary football in the closing stages.
Wenger had been confident of three points when Sagna headed in Cesc Fabregas’s corner in the 59th minute.
When Blues boss Avram Grant replaced Michael Ballack with Juliano Belletti the Chelsea faithful groaned their disapproval, chanting for Jose Mourinho.
But it proved an inspired decision. Belletti’s long ball in the 73rd minute reached Drogba, who took advantage of a generous offside decision to slam home Frank Lampard’s pass.
There was even more to come from the Ivorian with nine minutes to go. Belletti’s cross was flicked on by Nicolas Anelka and Drogba’s shot was parried into the net by Manuel Almunia.
Grant admitted it was time Drogba started to show the kind of form that made him the Premier League’s most feared striker last season.
He had scored only twice since returning from African Nations Cup duty in February, but was too powerful for Arsenal.
“It is about time because since he is back from Africa, like the others, he was not in the shape he was before,” Grant said. “That is reasonable because they played a lot of games in humid weather. But against Tottenham he was better and here he was very good.”
Chelsea are five points off the top and United have to visit the Bridge on April 26, so the title is still within reach after Grant finally won a significant match.
“I don’t know if we will win the league but we will do our best to do it,” Grant said.
“We have won more than 80 percent of our games. Since we lost in the League Cup we scored 20 goals or more in all the competitions.
“I promised we would play attacking football. We did that and scored goals. It is important because for me the way is more important than anything else.”
