Wenger: We were slow going forward

Results

Date	Time	C	Opponent	F	A	R	S
21 Nov	3:00 PM	P	Sunderland (A)	0	1	Lost

Manager Arsène Wenger criticised his team's lack of sharpness going forward in yesterday's defeat to Sunderland. Arsenal succumbed 1-0 at the Stadium of Light.

The Frenchman also subtlety hinted that his players were not mentally prepared by saying that if the match was at the Emirates Stadium, it would have been a different result.

Sunderland became the first side this season to not concede against Arsenal.

Wenger said: "Yes [we were slow] but it's a small worry. I believe that going forward especially we lacked sharpness and desire to go behind the defenders.

"We had chosen the easy part of the game, that is always come to the ball and not to be exposed then with our pace in behind. In football, if you want to score goals, you have to go behind the defenders.

"We lost a game where we can only fault ourselves because we didn't score, some players were not at their best and we gave a goal away on the only situation where Sunderland could score one today. It was on a set piece.

"I believe it's more down to the fact that we made a big mistake on the corner because the game was there for the taking in the last 20 minutes. But of course, when you're down, it makes it more difficult."

"I think that they tried to stop us from playing, sometimes on the fringe of the rule, but that's part of the game."

Say what you will, but it's quite obvious that Wenger's Arsenal teams have had a problem with late goals. You just feel that the teams are not set-up to defend a tight 1-0 lead, or even 2-0 going into the second half.

There is a perception that this Arsenal team has to score more than 1 goal (sometimes even 3) to be even in with a shout of walking away with the three points.

And we really need to start getting some clean sheets. Yes we may be scoring tons of goals, but when we start drawing blanks like yesterday, a 0-0 result would have been much better.

As Herbert Chapman would say: "It is laid down by law that the team who scores the most goals wins. To accomplish this you must make sure that the defence is sound."

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