Arsene Wenger blames Old Trafford pitch for loss
Arsenal’s manager, Arsene Wenger, was asked about the loss to Manchester United and the Frenchman replied saying that his side had to play on a “very bad” pitch.
Arsenal lost their lead at the top of the Premier League, to Sir Alex Ferguson’s side at Old Trafford and Wenger refused to comment on why his side had trouble winning against the other title rivals. He revealed that his side had trouble concentrating and it was mainly because of the pitch.
Wenger said, “Why do we always seem to lose these big games? If you are a football specialist I leave this analysis to you. Why do you ask me when you know everything? I believe we are here to analyze one game – the game of tonight. I know your job is to get to conclusions but I leave that to you. I've spoken about the game tonight. You have to be calm and be realistic and objective. United won the game tonight and you don't necessarily have to go to big conclusions. Be calm”.
Wenger was disappointed by his side’s performance but said that both sides were very average in his opinion. He labeled the match as disappointing and frustrating. He stated that the ball was “bouncy and slippery” throughout the game, which obviously affected the match.
He was in an icy mood as he said, “The pitch was so poor in my opinion and the game suffered a lot from it. I ask you, 'Do you want a good pitch or a bad pitch?' What do you say?”
Wenger could not blame injuries this time. The Arsenal manager had his entire first team available for selection. Injured skipper, Cesc Fabregas, had recovered from his hamstring injury and made an appearance for the Gunners.
However, even he could not lift his side. In the end Arsenal were just not good enough for Manchester United, who had a chance to end the game 2-0. However, this wasn’t the case as Wayne Rooney missed a penalty.
It was Park Ji-sung, who scored the winning goal for Manchester United towards the end of the first half, which moved Ferguson’s side to the top of the League. Manchester United can relax at the top, since they have a game in hand.
However, they have a tough fixture coming up ahead, as they travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the fallen Champions, Chelsea. Despite their recent poor performances, the Blues can be guaranteed to present a challenge to United’s title dreams.
Tags: