“Every game in the Premier League is hard, but we have got the confidence now throughout the team that if we do the job right, we may get these chances to win games, so it doesn’t matter if it’s Chelsea or Arsenal”, said Mannone.
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However, Arsenal wasted a great opportunity when Iwobi sliced across the face of goal from Giroud’s 56th-minute cross, after Sanchez had beaten Van Aanholt and Jan Kirchhoff.
Iwobi sliced horribly wide after Giroud had picked him out at the far post with Mannone off his line, before Defoe lobbed the ball over Cech and narrowly past the far post.
But for Arsenal keeper Petr Cech, Sunderland could have emerged with all the points and his 50th-minute double save from Jermain Defoe and Yann M’Vila was the pick of the bunch.
The 27-year-old’s future is now far from certain at Arsenal and Wenger did little to dispel speculation the player could leave the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal still look a decent bet to finish in the top four and reach the Champions League for an 18th straight campaign under Wenger, but the Frenchman’s detractors were hardly silenced by a largely listless display. “It was the kind of game where we needed to go in front because I thought we might suffer physically”.
For Wenger, it proved to be another frustrating afternoon as his team dominated for long periods, but could not find a way past keeper Vito Mannone.
He adds: “His players have not only buckled under title-winning pressure, they are now floundering under the more modest expectation of qualifying for the Champions League”.
Sunderland put in a strong defensive performance against Arsenal but came close to scoring on numerous occasions, with defender Van Aanholt striking the bar with a free-kick.
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The point took them level with third-place Manchester City, five points clear of Manchester United, who have a game in hand, but was of more use to Sunderland, who climbed out of the relegation zone on goal difference. You never create enough chances.
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Arsene Wenger: ‘It’s not a result we want, we wanted to win the game, but we have to deal with that and focus on the next one, that’s all we can do’.
