Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger was far from
happy with his side’s performance in either
box, but rejected suggestions that Tottenham
were now the number one side in north
London.
“That’s not the impression I got from the game today,” he said on Sky Sports News.
“We were not efficient in those decisive zones, not at the back or up front. We were not cautious enough. On the two goals we played offside in a position where we shouldn’t play offside.”
He did, however, praise the effort his side put in believing it deserved a more positive
outcome.
“It is difficult to struggle with defeat because
of the effort we put in and the energy level we put in over the 90 minutes was tremendous,” he added.
“We made it difficult for ourselves. We came
back and dominated the game but the game
was stop and go.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal majority shareholder Stan Kroenke has said he has no plans to sell his stake in the club, He was responding to a report that a Middle East consortium planned a £1.5bn bid.
The Sunday Telegraph said the consortium,
backed by funds from Qatar and the United
Arab Emirates, had already requested a
meeting with the American billionaire Kroenke, who owns a two-thirds stake in the famous north London club ahead of what would be a record takeover bid for a soccer club.
“Stan Kroenke is committed to Arsenal for the long term and has no intention of selling his stake,” Arsenal communications director Mark Gonnella said. “There has been no contact from any potential investors,” he added.
Gonnella noted that Kroenke, who also owns
the St Louis Rams in the NFL, had never sold any of his sports investments. Many Arsenal fans are unhappy with the way Kroenke – nicknamed “Silent Stan” for his low profile – is running the club, arguing he is putting profit before success on the pitch.
Arsenal have not won a trophy since 2005 and are facing another barren season.
Supporters are angry at paying the highest
ticket prices in the country at their 60,000-
seater Emirates stadium and criticise Kroenke for selling their best players to rival clubs.
Chelsea, owned by Russian oligarch Roman
Abramovich, and Manchester City, supported
by cash from Abu Dhabi have spent heavily in
recent seasons and outperformed Arsenal.
The report came on the day Arsenal,
struggling to qualify for the lucrative
Champions League, faced a crucial match
against bitter local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal, fifth in the table, say their sound
finances will make them more competitive in
this era of “Financial Fair Play”.
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