adminLONDON. — Arsene Wenger refused to take the blame for Arsenal’s Champions League soccer crisis after his selection gamble backfired in a humiliating 3-2 defeat against Olympiakos.
Wenger’s side had never before lost their opening two Champions League games, but they have imploded twice against Dinamo Zagreb and now Olympiakos to leave their Group F campaign in turmoil.
And it is Wenger’s curious decision to make a host of changes for both European fixtures that has played a major role in the defeats which leave Arsenal in danger of failing to qualify for the knock-out stages for the first time in 16 years.
After making six changes for the loss in Zagreb earlier this month, Wenger threw caution to the wind again and made another five alterations for Olympiakos’s visit to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Crucially, he opted to leave Petr Cech on the bench and select David Ospina in goal instead and the move went spectacularly wrong as the Colombian’s horrendous howler gifted the Greek club their second goal. — AFP.
Online Reporter