Arsenal's title hopes hit by Chelsea loss

LONDON: Manager Arsene Wenger said Arsenal's Premier League title chances had suffered a major blow with Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Chelsea in the London derby.

Arsenal slipped to third in the table and six points adrift of leader Manchester United after Chelsea came from a goal down to win with two strikes from Ivorian Didier Drogba.

Asked about its impact on a title bid that was firmly on course just a month ago, Wenger told a news conference: "It's a big setback today for us.

"When you add the four games we drew, and to lose today, we have to get back to winning games before we dream of the title.

"I feel the spirit is fantastic in the team. Today the players will be very disappointed because they gave everything to win this game and we go home without a point.

"We have to show our strength. At the moment we are six points behind Man United and we have first to win our next game before we can speak about the title."

Wenger had no doubts about where his side, which has won only one of its last 8 games, needs to improve.

"We have to become stronger again defensively," the Frenchman said.

"It's a game we should have won, but we have shown lapses in concentration that we paid for.

"At the moment we have some defensive problems that we have to sort out because we gave away an easy goal at Middlesbrough and an easy goal against Aston Villa.

"We got caught when (Chelsea substitute Nicolas) Anelka came on with the long balls and physical battle - and I must say we were a bit unlucky because the first goal was offside."

Grant cautious

Chelsea manager Avram Grant was cautious over whether his side, now second and five points behind United, could go on and win the league for a third time in four seasons.

"I don't know, but we will do our best to," said the Israeli, who replaced crowd favorite Jose Mourinho last September.

"Since September, we have had 80 percent good games and we have scored a lot of goals. It's important."

"Today, we conceded a goal...but they responded very well."

The turning point came midway through the second half, when Arsenal lost defender and goalscorer Bacary Sagna to injury while leading 1-0 and Grant sent on Anelka and Juliano Belletti.

Drogba's goals soon followed, confounding skeptics in the Stamford Bridge crowd.

Asked about his substitutions, Grant said: "I don't think any manager thinks it will succeed every time. Today it did, so I'm happy...We wanted to put more pressure on their defense."

Grant said he had turned a deaf ear to crowd chants at the time of "You don't know what you're doing".

"I didn't hear them," he said. "I concentrate on what I need to do, and I'm very confident about what I need to do. I cannot listen to other voices."

Asked if he heard the crowd singing predecessor Jose Mourinho's name, Grant said: "I was concentrating only on the game."

Agencies

(China Daily 03/25/2008 page22)