Arsenal’s manager Wenger has voiced his displeasure at his player’s lackluster performance at Everton on Tuesday night.
He blames his team’s poor performance for the loss that sees them lose grip on the Premier League title.
The Gunners who scored first all thanks to an impressive effort from Alexis Sanchez had their celebrations cut short when Sheamus Coleman scored with an incredible header to bring the teams level at half time.
Arsene Wenger claimed his team were tactically prepared to see off Everton but was disappointed in the end when his team conceded two goals, giving Chelsea an advantage in the title race. The manager said:
“In football, you have to defend well, we knew exactly what was happening, and the first goal is exactly what we planned not to do.
“We have to look at ourselves tonight because we punished ourselves by not respecting completely the rules that we put out the night before we played.”
Although many pundits consider Wenger’s statement an open criticism of his players overall performance, others believe he is tactically motivating his team for the big game at Manchester City this weekend.
Wenger knows for certain that losing to Man City this weekend could see them drop to fourth position and trail league leaders Chelsea by 9 points. Hence, he would be looking to prepare his team for the tactical face off at Etihad on Sunday.
Despite the loss at Everton on Tuesday, Wenger would hope his team maintains the momentum with which they started the season. Players like Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Bellerin would be expected to be at the top of their game if the team is to take any point away from the match with Manchester City.
The game with Manchester City would no doubt be a tactical game for the two coaches looking to stamp their influences in sport.