Beleaguered Wenger blames referee for Arsenal’s latest comedy of errors
LONDON — Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger conceded he is in a “very difficult situation” after the Gunners’ wretched campaign hit a new low with a humiliating Champions League exit to Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Wenger’s side suffered its heaviest home defeat for 19 years as Bayern romped to a 5-1 victory for a 10-2 aggregate last-16 success.
It was an evening of abject misery for Wenger, who was subjected to calls for his resignation from Gunners fans before and after one of the most chastening losses of his 21-year reign.
Wenger complained that refereeing decisions denied his team the chance of an epic comeback after Theo Walcott’s opener was canceled out by a Robert Lewandowski penalty that led to the dismissal of Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny.
But the way his team capitulated in the closing stages, conceding four more goals while boos and abuse rained down on Wenger, did not bode well for the Frenchman.
With Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes in tatters and even a top-four finish far from certain, Wenger had already faced stinging criticism following his decision to drop Alexis Sanchez for last Saturday’s loss at Liverpool.
Sanchez’s omission was reportedly the result of a training-ground altercation involving the striker, his manager and several teammates.
And, while the final score against Bayern may have been harsh on Arsenal, it was a loss that did little to stem the feeling Wenger is destined for an acrimonious exit.
Asked if he would be managing Arsenal in Europe next season, Wenger, who has yet to reveal if he will extend his contract when it expires at the end of the campaign, gave a response that invited renewed speculation about his future.
“I don’t know, you always want headlines. I’m here to speak about football not my future,” he said.
“I don’t feel there was any uncertainty from the players. We played very well.
“At the moment we are going through a very difficult situation, but I think this club is in great shape.
“What needs to change is a good result this weekend. We play the quarterfinal of the FA Cup against Lincoln (on Saturday) and we want to focus on that and do our job properly.”
‘Take it on the chin’
Questioned about the protests, Wenger declined to criticize the supporters, saying: “I have nothing to add to that.”
Instead, he focused on slamming referee Tasos Sidiropoulos for the decisions that condemned Arsenal to a seventh straight failure to advance beyond the competition’s last 16.
“I have to take it on the chin and I will get a lot of criticism, but it doesn’t make it right,” he said.
“The end result will not highlight the quality of our performance. The players haven’t let us down, the referee has.
“The referee was very powerful for Bayern. Not only was it not a penalty, he was offside, and on top of that he gave a red card.
“It leaves me very angry and very frustrated because we are in a difficult situation.
“It’s irresponsible from the referee. It’s absolutely unexplainable and scandalous.”
While Wenger faces up to a troubled end to the season in north London, Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti remains on course for a Bundesliga, Champions League and German Cup treble.
Ancelotti, whose side leads its domestic league by seven points and is into the cup semifinals, conceded Arsenal put Bayern under heavy pressure before the penalty.
But the former Chelsea boss wasn’t worrying too much about the damage done to Wenger’s increasingly tarnished reputation.
“Wenger has more experience than me, he knows he has to manage the pressure,” Ancelotti said.
“Until the penalty it was difficult for 60 minutes. Arsenal played really well and we made mistakes we don’t normally do.
“It was a strange game ... honestly, the result doesn’t reflect what happened on the pitch.
“The penalty took out all the pressure out for us, but the important thing was to reach the quarterfinals.”
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