adminARSÈNE WENGER effectively surrendered the Premier League title to Chelsea after watching Arsenal throw away the lead to lose 2-1 at Swansea City.The result meant Arsenal slipped to sixth place in the table, below Swansea, and are 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.
Chelsea go into the international break unbeaten and Wenger cannot see anybody catching Jose Mourinho’s men.
“At the moment, Chelsea are on course to get 100 points this season,” said Wenger. “If you look at the number of points they have today (yesterday), if they keep that up nobody will catch them, that’s for sure. There doesn’t look to be anybody capable to challenge them at the moment.
“There is no obvious reason for it. They had a good start and there is a little bit extra spirit in the team that, when it is tight, gets them through.”
Arsenal once again failed to show the spirit to drag them through a game, having surrendered a three-goal lead against Anderlecht in the Champions League.
“Did Tuesday night play a part in our mind? I don’t think so,” said Wenger. “I hope not. I think it’s a game that we were quite in control of at 1-0 up. I felt that we allowed them back into the game by losing some challenges in the middle of the park, that you cannot afford to lose, and that we were a little bit on the back foot.
“It’s unfortunate to lose a game like that, but we were not rigorous until the end. We produced quite a decent performance for 75 minutes, but you have to last 90 minutes.
“Swansea, you have to give them credit. They didn’t give up, they fought until the end, they scored a good free-kick and, of course, that gave them momentum again and in the end we lost the three points. That’s very sad, very disappointing, but we have to take it on the chin because we didn’t play for 90 minutes with the right rigorous attitude.
“We play a lot, we give a lot, I believe that overall we controlled them quite well defensively, but suddenly in the last 15 minutes you could see that we dropped and we allowed them to be dangerous.”
Wenger has been accused of being a poor tactician this week and did not make any substitutions until Arsenal had fallen behind.
“I feel that it’s always difficult at 1-0, we were quite solid defensively and we didn’t look really in the need to change,” said Wenger. “We were struggling a bit on the right side, but I have no experienced players on the bench. We continued, it was unfortunate. But I didn’t think it was really the need to change.”
Swansea manager Garry Monk was rewarded for making two attacking substitutions, bringing on Modou Barrow and match-winner Bafetimbi Gomis.
“I wanted to seize the initiative, especially after we equalised with the free-kick,” he said. “The crowd were with us and I just felt confident.
“We prepared for the best Arsenal and, at times, I think we saw that. I thought we managed them very well and we showed the inner belief we have in the squad.” — The Telegraph
derick.khumalo