Palace pile the pressure on
Wenger’s in trouble as Arsenal likely to miss out on top four
Arsenal’s hopes of finishing in the English Premier League’s top four suffered a potentially fatal blow yesterday as they were humiliated 3-0 at relegation-threatened Crystal Palace.
Victory had been imperative for an Arsenal side who have won only two league games since January but the abject display with Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic all scoring for Palace only heaped more pressure on manager Arsene Wenger.
Sixth-placed Arsenal, who have finished in the top four in 20 consecutive seasons under Wenger, now have 54 points from 30 games — seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, who have played a game more.
“It’s damaging, of course,” a seemingly dispirited Wenger told Sky Sports. “That’s the most difficult thing for us tonight.”
Rejuvenated Palace, winners of four of their previous five league games under Sam Allardyce, started confidently and opened the scoring when former Tottenham Hotspurs winger Townsend swept the ball home at the end of a smart passing move after 17 minutes.
Palace striker Christian Benteke then had a goal ruled out for offside before Cabaye’s superb curled effort and Milivojevic’s penalty in five second-half minutes completed a miserable night for Wenger at a raucous Selhurst Park.
Palace stay 16th but now have 34 points from 31 matches, six more than Swansea City, who occupy the final relegation place in 18th and have played a game more.
“All we can do is apologise for that performance,” Arsenal’s Theo Walcott said after Gunners fans had sung ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’ at their players.
Arsenal started shakily against inform Palace and within the first seven minutes Cabaye had wasted a dangerous shooting position before Milivojevic blazed narrowly wide.
Arsenal settled into a period of possession but Palace were a constant threat on the break and it was a long ball from a goal kick that yielded the breakthrough.
After Benteke won a header, a neat passing move ended with Townsend stroking home a cross from the slipping Wilfried Zaha, high past Emiliano Martinez.
In response, Arsenal created a few chances via Alexis Sanchez but the hosts looked capable of scoring whenever they ran at Arsenal’s fragile defence.
Meanwhile, Claudio Ranieri refuses to accept Leicester’s players were behind his firing as manager of the unlikely English champions.
“I can’t believe my players kill me. No, no, no,” Ranieri said yesterday in his first interview since his dismissal in February.
The Italian coach told Sky Sports that “maybe there could be someone behind me” at the club who betrayed him, but didn’t give any names because he is a “loyal man”.
“I had also a little problem the year before, and we won the title,” Ranieri said. “Maybe this year, when we lose, these people push a little more.”
Ranieri was fired nine months after guiding Leicester to the Premier League title at preseason odds of 5000-1, in possibly the biggest upset in sporting history. In a disappointing title defence, Leicester was one point and one place above the relegation zone when the club’s Thai owners decided to remove Ranieri.
Ranieri said his players struggled for motivation this season because of their raised profile and the fact “the year before they earn a little less and after they earn the double or the triple.”
Since his departure, the intensity to Leicester’s play has returned and the team won six straight games under replacement coach Craig Shakespeare until a 4-2 loss at Everton on Sunday. During that winning run, the team advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League by eliminating Sevilla. INDOOR BOWLS TENNIS