STAY-AWAY GUNNERS FANS A WORRY FOR WENGER

ARSENE WENGER admitted he was worried about the swathes of empty seats at the Emirates Stadium yesterday as thousands of Arsenal supporters stayed away for the second time in just over a week following another mass no-show for their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

“Yes, of course I worry because I want our fans to be behind the team and happy,” Wenger said after a game that followed a fans forum at which chief executive Ivan Gazidis pointedly refused to discuss the Frenchman’s future. “We have to get the fans on our side and do everything to achieve it.”

Wenger, who praised Petr Cech for achieving the 200 Premier League clean sheets milestone, acknowledged there had been “a lot of negativity” in the build-up to the Europa League win at AC Milan that ended Arsenal’s losing run. “It’s like rain in England – it’s easy to get,” he said. “I focus on my job and I think I’ve shown in 22 years that I can do that.”