Arsène Wenger is worried Arsenal could miss out on a top-four place and be excluded from involvement in the Champions League next season.
Although the point against Sunderland in a 0-0 draw at the Stadium of Light on Sunday means Arsenal remain fourth, five points in front of Manchester United, Louis van Gaal’s recently resurgent side have a game in hand and represent a cause for concern for the Frenchman.
“Yes of course we care and we worry about the top four,” said Wenger, who has come under sustained criticism from disaffected Arsenal fans in recent weeks as he strives to secure Champions League qualification for a 20th successive year. “It is a fight and we have to be prepared to fight.”
Arsenal’s manager also took time to reflect on what might have been in a season which initially promised great things for his side. “We always play to win the title,” he said. “The fact that we don’t win it is frustrating.”
Sam Allardyce has not always seen eye to eye with his counterpart at the Emirates Stadium but, on a day when his team scrambled out of the bottom three, moving above 18th-placedNorwich City on goal difference, Sunderland’s manager expressed a certain sympathy. “The title looked open for them and I’m sure Arsène though it would be their year but they couldn’t quite take that opportunity,” he said.
“Their quality on the ball is unquestionable but they can be slightly weak defensively. They’re still a fantastic team though and I still think they’ll finish in the top four – I’d just like to finish fourth from bottom.”
His chances of doing precisely that were enhanced by a result which leaves Sunderland a point ahead of Newcastle United with a game in hand on their north-east rivals. “Who knows whether we’ll stay up but with four games to go our destiny is in our own hands and we’ve got to take full advantage,” Allardyce said. “I’m slightly disappointed we haven’t taken all three points today.
“At half-time I’d have been happy with a point but now I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t get the goal that would have pinched it. That would have been huge for us. But it’s another clean sheet – and, for me, clean sheets are where our safety lies. For the first time in many, many months it moves us out of the bottom three. Psychologically that will hopefully be a very big boost for the players.
“I’m really pleased with their overall performance even though I was slightly disappointed we paid Arsenal too much respect in the first half. But we sorted that out at half-time. We got in the faces of their midfielders and stopped them playing and our defending was outstanding.”
Wenger thought anxiety among his forward line – and the much-criticised, once again underwhelming Olivier Giroud in particular – played a part in Allardyce’s prized clean sheet. “Maybe we’re anxious in front of goal,” said Wenger who brought a newly-fit Jack Wilshere off the bench for the final few minutes as the England midfielder made a long-awaited comeback following 11 months sidelined by a broken leg.
“At the moment Olivier cannot score so you feel there is not completely the same level of confidence. But strikers go through spells like that. I believe we have to support Olivier, to give him the confidence he needs. I think Olivier will come back. He’s gone through spells like this before.”
Victory would have lifted Arsenal above Manchester City into third place but they met formidable opponents on Wearside. “A team like Sunderland will fight for everything,” Wenger said ruefully. “You see teams with nothing to play for and think ‘I wish we were playing them’. Sunderland started with a bit of anxiety but we couldn’t take advantage.”
Arsenal were also fatigued. “You know with the fact that we played Thursday [against West Bromwich Albion] and today that you could suffer a little bit physically in the second half and that’s what happened,” Wenger said.
Much to Allardyce’s chagrin, Mike Dean turned down a penalty appeal when Jermain Defoe’s shot was blocked by Per Mertesacker’s arm. “It was blatantly obvious,” he said. “He sticks his arms out, turns his back – when you are trying to block a shot, you are not supposed to turn your back – and stops a certain goal. Yes, definitely 100% a penalty.”
