LONDON: Arsenal completed what has been a dreadful week by losing 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday to slip 13 points off the Champions League qualification positions and pile even more pressure on a defiant Arsene Wenger.
After back-to-back 3-0 losses to Manchester City across two competitions, Arsenal stumbled again — this time to much lower opposition — following two errors by goalkeeper Petr Cech on the south coast.
And the defeat will not help the Frenchman to stave off claims that he has completely lost the confidence of the Arsenal dressing room.
But he insists he is the right man to lead Arsenal to better days.
“The League Cup in the middle of the season, it’s always difficult. The final we lost brings a lot of negativity. On top of that the game on Thursday night didn’t help us today,” he said. When asked if he could turn around Arsenal’s form he added: “Yes, because I have done it before. It’s the first time I lost so many games on the trot. I believe I can do it.”
During the game, Cech was beaten to a high ball following a corner to the back post, and Lewis Dunk slotted the loose ball home from the edge of the six-yard box in the seventh minute.
Glenn Murray made it 2-0 midway through the first half when his header from Pascal Gross’ pinpoint cross squirmed under the diving Cech.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the deficit for Arsenal by turning in Granit Xhaka’s drive across the face of goal in the 43rd, but the visitors could not turn sustained pressure into an equalizer in the second half.
It was Arsenal’s fourth straight loss in all competitions, and eighth in 14 matches in 2018.
Arsenal are in sixth place and destined for another year out of the Champions League, unless they can repeat the feat of Manchester United last season and win the Europa League to earn a direct passage to Europe’s top competition.
And Wenger admitted the tough situation his side were in.
“It is very difficult, nearly impossible now (to finish in the top four), we are too far behind. We need two teams to collapse not one.
“But at the moment we have different worries in how to comeback to winning a game.”
Arsenal lost to City in the League Cup final last Sunday and then in the Premier League on Thursday, placing Wenger under renewed scrutiny during his 22nd season in charge. The ‘Wenger Out’ banners were plain to see at the final whistle at Brighton’s Amex Stadium. The jeers from the Arsenal supporters will no doubt still be ringing in Wenger’s ears.
Brilliant Brighton beat Arsenal to pile pressure on defiant Arsene Wenger
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