Wenger: Game Over

Arsene Wenger has conceded defeat in the Premier League race, revealing that it will be difficult to stomach the fact that Arsenal will not be champions this season

The Gunners’ title aspirations were well and truly shattered yesterday when they were defeated 2-1 by league leaders Manchester United at Old Trafford, opening up a surely insurmountable nine-point gap between the two.

And while Wenger yet again bemoaned refereeing decisions not going in their favour, he insists he is nevertheless proud of his team’s performance.

“I believe we played with quality and spirit and were unlucky to lose this game," he said. "I never felt under pressure and I believe defensively we played quite well.

“We lost on a penalty - that you can give or not give but we are used to that now - and on a free-kick when Gilberto did not touch him. I believe these two decisions made a big difference.

“We have to take it but overall I am proud of my team.”

It has not been a very good week for Arsenal. Their defeat at Old Trafford follows Tuesday’s Champions League quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Liverpool, essentially meaning their hopes of collecting a trophy this season have been snuffed out in the course of five days.

But although Wenger is clearly rueful of the way the season has deteriorated over the last two months, he insists bad luck has played a part, and that with persistence and a bit of fortune the Gunners can match their rivals next season.

“Between success and failure this season there was very little,” he said. “We have to accept that we will not win the title and that is hard to swallow.

“We do not feel that there is a difference technically and collectively between us and Chelsea and Manchester United.

“We have to continue to produce the football we produce. We will not always be unlucky. We played well at Liverpool and today.

“With all the bad things that have gone against us we need to be exceptionally strong to produce a performance like we did today.”

Policy Persistence

Arsenal’s youth policy was all the rage earlier in the season, as the likes of Fabregas, Flamini and Adebayor ripped through more experienced opponents to lead the North Londoners to the top of the table.

However, as their title challenge has waned and now vanished altogether, many have questioned whether that lack of experience throughout the line-up has cost the Gunners in their hunt for trophies.

But Wenger is adamant that he will continue to develop players the way he has done so far, and that Arsenal will reap the rewards as their young guns mature over the next few seasons.

“We have the quality and we are young,” said the Frenchman. “I have worked with this team for a long time now and people don't know what that means.

“For example Alex Song played today. It is two years ago since I bought him. Today he played in a massive game and showed he has exceptional quality. He was not like that two years ago.

“We want to be rewarded for the quality we have.”

Confidence

And while pundits have pointed the finger at the youth policy for Arsenal’s faded campaign, Wenger insisted the biggest problem was a collective lack of belief.“The confidence has dropped recently,” he added. “In two months we have gone through a difficult period.“You cannot fault the spirit. That has been exceptional but when you get knock after knock it is difficult to take.

“We led at Liverpool and today for a moment but we have been hit recently by goals. When that happens you become more cautious and that means you are more cautious under pressure.”

(source: goal/Mike Maguire)