While Arsene Wenger is already without a number of first-team stars, the injury to Coquelin, who was substituted just 14 minutes into the game at The Hawthorns with a suspected knee problem, will be a big blow to the club.
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The result means Arsenal have not yet won in November in all competitions, as they turn their attention to the Champions League clash with Dinamo Zagreb in midweek.
To take over you have to adapt to the players you’ve got and the way we play now suits us. “We had 70 per cent possession, we scored an own goal, we missed a penalty, we gave away a goal from a set-piece, that is flawless to make the afternoon a nightmare”, Wenger said after the match.
“It was a bad afternoon”, Wenger told reporters. You have to give them credit for that.
“We have to come back quickly and focus”.
“But I like our reaction and although everything went against us a bit, we kept going until the last minute and were still creating opportunities”.
Ademi, who insists he is innocent, tested positive for a banned substance following Zagreb’s 2-1 win over Arsenal in September. “Our defending on that level was very, very poor”.
However, former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Owen believes that Arsene Wenger’s men will have too much for the visitors, despite their current injury woes.
Then with half-time approaching, the home side took a surprise lead when the lively James Mclean was able to get in behind the Gunners defence and slip in a cross that Mikel Arteta clumsily diverted into his own net.
Albion rode their luck at times and had Santi Cazorla’s slip to thank for a penalty miss seven minutes from time.
Wenger had noted in the build-up to the match that Koscielny, in particular, had been deeply affected by the attacks, which included a number of explosions outside the Stade de France, where France were playing Germany in a friendly.
Arsenal hope to have Walcott and Rosicky back in contention for the Christmas period and the next few weeks will dictate whether Wenger decides to look for a new player or two in January. Uefa applies the rule that is planned but I personally don’t agree with it. You can not say that they had a doped player but the result stands.
‘I’m sorry for Arsenal but they still have chances if they win – we will try and make the job hard.
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“For my part, I would not explain our defeat by that”. I think it’s sad.
