Wenger maintains title hopes

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Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
05 Apr	12:45 PM	P	Liverpool (H)	1	1	Draw

Manager Arsène Wenger says that whilst there is a mathematical chance of his team winning the title, he will maintain every hope of being in contention for it.

Chelsea's win against Manchester City means they have distanced themselves further from Arsenal, who are in third-place.

The Frenchman defended his decision to rest key players, but only bringing them on as substitutes later when Arsenal were chasing for the win.

Wenger said: "I don't know, that depends on the results of the other teams. In my brain it's not over because mathematically it's not over, but it is frustrating today because I feel we had again another blatant penalty for us, that was not given, on Fabregas.

"You can watch it well on television. It's one-hundred per-cent conclusive, but even more so we had a chance in the last second of the game to kill the game off. I said five games and a draw at least, basically you wanted six wins.

"When you don't win the game, you're looking for what could have been different.

"We had situations where Adebayor feels at the moment he has an ankle problem and he's a bit tired.

"I felt, for example, that Hleb finished tired, Clichy finished the game against Liverpool Wednesday night very tired.

"It is difficult that you have to make decisions with the schedule we have. If you only play the same eleven it doesn't work as well."

User Comments

Nikhil

Posted on 8 Apr, 2008 at 12:25 PM - Reply

Huntellar will be a good buy. So many clubs are after him and Man U also want him so we should also be on the race to sign him. There are also rumours that Ronaldinho is linked with Man. City. Hope we sign him before anybody does.

John

Posted on 8 Apr, 2008 at 06:30 AM - Reply

Mr. Wenger, you are the best manager in the world for football if we are not chasing any title. We have many amazing players, but you either plays them all the time or do not plays them for most of the time. Just one question now, why did not you play D15 once a while and rest F4?

John

Posted on 8 Apr, 2008 at 06:29 AM - Reply

Mr. Wenger, you are the best manager in the world for football if we are not chasing any title. We have many amazing players, but you either plays them all the time or do not plays them for most of the time. Just one question now, why did not you play D15 once a while and rest F4?

Disillusioned Gooner

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 08:24 PM - Reply

Arsene you have gone gaga my friend! We could not beat Chelsea & Liverpool in matches that were MUST WINS for us in order to maintain any title hopes, now we lie third in the table & you still maintain this pipe dream? I would like to see how a tired squad will react @ Old Trafford after 3 gruelling matches with Liverpool & God forbid any one picks up a knock @ Anfield. The truth is there for all to see... amazing talented players, beautiful football, lack of strength in depth & dubious match tactics means we are going for a fourth year without silverware and the HUGE FINANCIAL WINDFALL that goes with it. I think it is a huge disgrace not to have won back to back titles & yet call ourselves a 'big club'. I am deeply hurt (& i'm sure a lot of other fans are)in the way & manner Arsenal Football Club lost the advantage to win the EPL this season;as far as i'm concerned Arsene & the board will have to take the responsibility for this and sort it out once & for all cos this is how 20 years without silverware starts.

Nikhil

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 07:56 PM - Reply

Vidic is also injured, Adeyemi. That is something good

Nikhil

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 07:55 PM - Reply

All u guys are right. The striker we should buy is Huntelaar. He is amazing and is one of the best forwards in the dutch league. He has earned the name Hunter. Man U still want to boost their attack so they are also on the race for the title. Just like Adeyemi even I'm happy Ferdinand won't play. Its not that i'm happy he is injured but that he won't play.

Thomas Lee

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 07:27 PM - Reply

id like to say that i appreciate the fact that arsenal have a big week at the moment but if players like Adebayor, Hleb and Clichy were playing on saturday they would have had more chance of 3 points and with that 3 points we would have still had a chance for the title, so i am angry that players of the first team didn't play and i think that arsenal should have the premiership as a priority

hh

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 04:28 PM - Reply

We have hope

John

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 01:18 PM - Reply

When can AW wake up?

David

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 12:20 PM - Reply

If we didn't win anything this year, Wenger should resign. He kept breaking our hearts by saving money for the club owners. What kind of manager he is!

David

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 12:18 PM - Reply

If we didn't win anything this year, Wenger should resign. His economic degree doesn't help in winning football prizes. He kept breaking fans' hearts by saving money (making profit) for the club owners, what kind of a manager he is!

Femi

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 09:34 AM - Reply

With the kind of views I read from some fans, it shows Arsenal ARE IN BIG TROUBLE! Wenger has achieved a lot. Yes. But what has he achieved in the past four seasons? Improvements! There is something wrong somewhere. A team falls from the top of the league and is now struggling for THIRD!-AND WENGER IS THE GREATEST. He hasn't won ANYTHING (there''s no award for best entertaining football) in FOUR seasons-AND IT SEEMS ALL'S WELL. Months ago, some of us saw these danger signs and were screaming, but 'cos we were at top of the league, we were shouted down. (AND ALSO SUCH VIEWS WERE BLOCKED HERE. ONLY PRAISE FOR TEAM WAS POSTED).Look at sir Alex. He had a crisis for about two seasons and was not treated as a hero. Infact his job looked to be on the line. This is Despite being the most crowned team in the Prem. No one praised him for PAST ACHIEVEMENTS 'cos team is supposed to WIN Silverware. Nobody likes being negative but it's not wise to see trouble and remain calm. When people visit a top four tropny room they want to see not only past trophies, but recent ones too. Mr. Wenger has done well in the past. But if you'll admit it he's also done badly in the past. He should have more silverware than this 'cos Arsenal once wasted a 12-point lead to Man U. The easiest way to destroy anything, from a man, team, system etc is to take a one-sided view of things alone. Even His press conferences have become a big joke(http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3395955,00.html). So also the comments of players. Very few are taking Arsenal seriously anymore. And I don't think that's good. Players are complaining that fans are booing them. They earn good money at the expense of the fans PARTING WITH HARD EARNED CASH and pay them back with these kind of performances. SO WHAT DO THEY EXPECT IN RETURN? I know the board is satisfied with having good financial return. They should please for once consider the fact that one thing that has made this club this great - WINNING SILVERWARE is missing.

hb

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 08:04 AM - Reply

I agree mathematically it is not over. Man Utd slip yesterday. So,it is not over.

Being a Gunner

Posted on 7 Apr, 2008 at 06:30 AM - Reply

I think it is overly convenient for people to point their finger when thing doesn't go quite the way we would like. Negative comments towards Mr. Wenger for the past few weeks is everywhere from the angered fans. My only thought is - players you guys have to step up and be a force to be reckoned with. Many ex- and/ or current Arsenal players complain about not being given enough chances to prove themselves etc etc etc... they can't complain either when given every chance to start and fail to perform saying they are tired blah blah blahhhh. BRING ON LIVERPOOL ON TUESDAY AND I HOPE THE LADS WILL PUT THEM IN THE POCKET!

Adeyemi

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 11:27 PM - Reply

Oh man. Just as i was thinkin now we will focus on Champions League, this guy is still thinkin of title.
If not for that Boro(king of the mid table) that almost beat united. Honestly, i wanted them to demolish united badly. But good news Rio is out. United aint gat any reliable CB. I gues we culd go to United and do wat we shuld hav done in the FA Cup. Hopefully i get to watch Best Of Arsenal On Tue, thats if i dont pik-up any injured myself. L8r GUNNERS

Zaeem

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 07:25 PM - Reply

Its nice to see your optimism Mr. Wenger but the title is over for us now.....

AaronandArsenal

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 03:10 PM - Reply

I really don't want to ramble on too much but there are a few things that are seriously bothering me when it comes to this season. Given our quality of football and our ability when on it over the course of the season (of course barring more recent matches) we have deserved to be in a similar predicament as Man Utd. Howver, as so many others have said over the course of the season, we serioudly lack the strength in depth to go all the way though a season whilst sustainning the quality of football we all love to see (i.e. Slavia Prague).

Unfortunately, i would say that as one of the 'big four', it is 100% certain that we are in need of 3 or 4 quality, players 23-27, not just as backup but even maybe replacements, in order to get the heights of Man Utd. Our lack of depth has lead to falling behind when injuries strike and topsy-tervy matches during the latter half of the season. If we want to, not only retain our status as a 'big club' in Europe, but also our young, growing stars like Fabregas, we HAVE to win something next year and this can only be achieved through increasing the depth of our sqaud. If this does not occur through Wenger it should, in my opinion, be made to by the owners for the future success of the club. If not, Wenger HAS to go.

GunnerSG

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 12:35 PM - Reply

I am absolutely amazed at the things you have achieved with The Arsenal over the past decade Mr Wenger, and I will always be a supporter of your type of football, but supplimenting our squad for depth and additional options will not hurt. The current squad are quality but they are being overused because we lack quality in our substitutes.

Monti

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 12:32 PM - Reply

Your reluctance to sign new players dispite having claimed over £70 million to spend if necessary (which is funny when we have had many key players out injured) has cost us the Premier league and proberbly the champions league aswell. Good work Arsene!

monti

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 12:29 PM - Reply

It's over Arsene. It's over.

Arjun

Posted on 6 Apr, 2008 at 12:19 PM - Reply

We will win it.

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