Gunners dish out suicidal performance
‘The mistakes gave Liverpool a cushion’
Liverpool – Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described his team’s performance as “unacceptable” after they were swept aside 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield.
Arsenal turned in an abject performance in Sunday’s game, despite the return of Alexis Sanchez following his delayed start to the season, and Wenger did not attempt to offer any excuses for the humiliation.
“Everything,” said Wenger when asked what had gone wrong.
“I think from the first minute to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game.
“Not physically, not technically, not mentally and we were punished. That’s basically it.
“Of course, you can analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level.”
Wenger, who spent barely two minutes in his post-match press conference, could offer little explanation as to why the display was so abject.
However, after using the uncertainty over his own future as an excuse for some poor showing last season, he could not do the same at the start of the new campaign.
“That’s a question which is very difficult to answer straight away after the game,” said the Frenchman, who signed a new two-year contract in May, after being asked to explain his side’s capitulation.
“There are some reasons, but I don’t think I have too much to comment on that now,” he added.
Wenger had been more forthcoming in a television interview after the game, although he was not in the mood for knee-jerk over-reaction.
“The result is a consequence of our performance,” he said. “We were not good enough.
“We were beaten everywhere physically. In the end I believe we made it easier for them and the mistakes gave them a cushion.
“It was shocking, but our performance was absolutely disastrous.”
‘‘ The result is a consequence of our performance