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Saturday, 5 March 2016

ARSENAL TITLE HOPES UNREALISTIC ADMITS WENGER


Arsene Wenger admitted he is unsure whether Arsenal can still win the Premier League title after Saturday's 2-2 draw at Tottenham.
"I think we have to take encouragement from our performance today and we have to produce that until the end of the season then we might have a chance."
Arsenal beat Leicester 2-1 three weeks ago, a result that had appeared to have swung the momentum in the Gunners' favour, but they have not won in five games across all competitions since.
Wenger acknowledged that this season may have represented the team's best chance to end a 12-year Premier League title drought.
"Maybe, yes. Last year we had no chance but now I don't know," he said. "We are in a position where we not only depend on our own results but the results of teams like Leicester."
Wenger's team had been relentlessly criticised this week after losses to Manchester United and Swansea dealt a massive blow to their title hopes, but gained a measure of redemption by coming back with 10 men at White Hart Lane.
"[For] a team with low confidence and no belief, we played pretty well today," centre-back Per Mertesacker said. "We don't need that [criticism]. It's nonsense. We just concentrate on ourselves and that's the only way to compete and win games."
Alexis Sanchez ended a scoring drought by netting the equaliser -- his first league goal since October -- and Wenger said he hoped the comeback could boost the team's confidence with crucial games ahead.
Arsenal travel to Hull for an FA Cup replay on Tuesday. Depending on the result of that game, they would either face West Bromwich Albion in the league or Watford in the cup next weekend, and will then go to the Camp Nou trying to overturn a 2-0 deficit in the Champions League.

"I must tell you that the pressure from our supporters is relentless and I'm in a good position to tell you that," Wenger said. "We have to deal with that. We have to go on a run again.
"We play on Tuesday night an important game and then we will see if we will play in the FA Cup or the Premier League [next weekend]. We want to win our games."
The Frenchman could still draw some positives from Saturday's game, with Sanchez scoring again and Danny Welbeck looking lively after starting up front instead of Olivier Giroud.
Goalkeeper David Ospina also played well in place of the injured Petr Cech, making a one-handed reaction save to deny Erik Lamela in the first half and keeping the ball out by a fraction of an inch in the second.
Wenger also opted to give Mohamed Elneny his first league start alongside Francis Coquelin in central midfield with Aaron Ramsey on the right wing, adding more defensive solidity to the team.
"Our balance was right today. We looked dangerous going forward, well organised in midfield and at the back and we moved the ball well. We had a solid performance," Wenger said.
"[Sanchez] had a great attitude today. I hope that will give him needed confidence and encouragement to continue and the goal will give him a lift. Certainly, it will give him a bigger a lift now."

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