Arsene Wenger felt Arsenal were “incredibly unlucky” to fall to a 2-1 Premier League loss at West Brom as the visitors surrendered a one-goal lead and missed a penalty.
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The Baggies clinched their first home win over the Gunners in 10 years after Santi Cazorla slipped and missed a late penalty.
“It was a bad afternoon, we missed a penalty, we gave a goal away on set-piece, that is ideal to make your afternoon a nightmare and we missed open goal chances”, he said.
‘I think we don’t want to take credit from West Brom but across the 90 minutes we were the better side, ‘ Cech told Squawka. “If you lead 1-0 they are in a situation where they can lose and we can win it. If you win 1-0 you can win 2-0 as well”. Our defending on that level was very, very poor.
Reports suggested that he was due to be sidelined for two months but Wenger believes it’s now nearer three.
“You can talk to him and he is so disappointed”.
Arsenal were consigned to defeat despite an early goal from Olivier Giroud who, like France team-mate Laurent Koscielny, played eight days after being caught up in the horrific Paris attacks while playing for France in the friendly against Germany at the Stade de France. “I can rotate a bit within the squad but Ramsey will be short and Chamberlain will be short and they are the two closest”. “When you are on the pitch, you are on the pitch”.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher feels that Arsenal needed to sign Morgan Schneiderlin in the summer, regardless of the fact they boast Francis Coquelin, and says the now Manchester United player would have suited the Gunners perfectly. “I would not explain our defeat by that”.
Arteta’s injury will leave them light in the defensive midfield department, with Mathieu Flamini the only option available to the French manager. “So this is a good opportunity for other players to show us they can do the job”.
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Arsene Wenger had hoped to go into tomorrow’s critical Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb on the back of a confidence-boosting Premier League victory and with Aaron Ramsey returning to ease Arsenal’s injury crisis.
