Wenger fears gap year
Arsene Wenger admitted Arsenal must act quickly to close the gap on Chelsea or risk the title being lost within the first few months of the campaign – as Manchester United endured last season.
But while Wenger accepts the pressure is on after two defeats in their opening four league games, he dismissed the theory – given credence by Jose Mourinho - that the Gunners are already close to being out of the title race.
Chelsea’s win at Charlton ensured that Mourinho’s side now stand 12 points ahead of Arsenal, who have two games in hand.
The first of these is on Monday night against Everton, with Wenger admitting victory is paramount after their defeats at Stamford Bridge and the Riverside.
After all, United dropped 13 points in their opening nine league games last season and even beating Arsenal at home in October was not enough to revive their challenge.
Asked if the title could be lost in the first couple of months, Wenger admitted: “Yes, you must not be too many points behind.
“Otherwise, you are in a dangerous territory and it’s vital for us to close that gap as quickly as possible. That’s why this is a big game for us.
“The pressure is high as we want to be at the top, not in the middle of the table.
“Mathematically, it is worrying but the way that we played is not so worrying. If we can find some bigger stability defensively and get back to our winning habits away from home, that problem will be easily sorted out.”
Wenger revealed he “fought like mad” to get his side’s game against Liverpool, which was postponed due to the Anfield club’s involvement in the Super Cup, played two days later.
But he insisted: “Before you worry about Chelsea, it’s down to you to be consistent. Then, in November, once we have had 10 or 12 games with good results, then we can worry about Chelsea.
“We have played four games, there are 34 to go. You always get what you deserve after 38 games but at the moment, things are going for them and that will not happen for the whole season.
“I am confident enough in my team to think we can compete with them. At the moment, why worry about Chelsea? If they carry on like this, they will win it anyway.”
Mourinho observed that Chelsea lost just one game last season in winning the title, while Arsenal had prevailed after an unbeaten campaign 12 months beforehand.
“The tendency for the big teams is not to lose too many matches,” he added. “What would I be thinking if we’d lost two games? That we can’t lose any more.”
Wenger nevertheless insisted that such calculations are misleading.
“Nobody knows. I have won one championship despite losing six games and only just won one despite losing none,” he declared.
“It depends on how many games you win. You can still compensate for losing games and the other teams can all drop points. The hierarchy changes so quickly in sport.
“What looks obvious now doesn’t always look so obvious in December. When you are champions, you fight and you do the maximum with what you have. At the moment, we don’t.”
Indeed, that is Wenger’s greatest concern, admitting he was fully aware that Arsenal could suffer their worst start to a league campaign since he took charge in 1996 following the sale of Patrick Vieira.
“I knew it was a bit of a gamble and we could suffer in the short term but I believe we have the necessary quality. Give Cesc Fabregas a few months and you will see,” he stressed.
“I knew it could happen if everything went wrong as we were playing Chelsea away and then Middlesbrough just after an international break.
“But I still believe in my team and we can compete with everyone in the league. It’s down to me to achieve that.”
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