Jack Wilshere has not featured at all for Arsenal in 2015-16 after breaking his leg in pre-season and Wenger is likely to be without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for two months after he sustained a knee injury against Barcelona.
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The loss represents a potentially fatal blow to Arsenal’s hopes of advancing from the Champions League round of sixteen tie and while Wenger congratulated Barcelona for outplaying his side, he made his thoughts about perceived play-acting clear.
Arsenal now sit third in the league table, five points behind leaders Leicester and three points behind second-placed Tottenham, after suffering a disappointing 3-2 defeat at injury-hit Manchester United on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger may lament the poor defending that cost his side something from the game against Manchester United but the truth is that Arsenal did not play well at the weekend and got what they deserved from the game, nothing.
“I’m never surprised by the criticism that comes – that’s part of the media today”, the French manager said on Arsenal.com. The opinions are always a bit excessive and emotional.
“I think if we want to buy at the end of the season, money will be available”, Wenger said. If on the last day of the season they are in front of us we congratulate them and say well done.
“But they went out on Sunday with an attitude of “it’s only Man United and they’ve got loads of injuries and kids playing, so we’ll breeze through this game”.
Henry has previously been critical of Olivier Giroud – doubting whether the striker can provide the goals for a title challenge – although fellow forwards Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott have both also displayed mixed form of late.
“Yes, that’s what we want to do [and use criticism as motivation]”. Everybody has freedom of opinion and I enjoy very much that people care about my future.
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The club’s January transfer window was very unexciting, and their summer transfer window was even more tiresome, as they bought zero outfield players. The players lead and we try to develop that with our work. Life is nuanced. What you want is to get the best out of the team until the end of the season and feel that this team gave absolutely the best in every game until the end of the season. “And after that, you want to win, but we will see who will win”.
