Fans demand Wenger exit
Arsenal manager admits top four is no longer possible after demoralising Brighton defeat
What now already feels like Arsene Wenger’s long goodbye reached a new low at Brighton and Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium yesterday.
Not simply for a defeat that raised familiar questions about the quality and mentality of this Arsenal team, but a chant from the away end after 33 minutes that would once have been unthinkable.
“We want Wenger out,” sang a significant number of Arsenal fans. It lasted seconds rather than minutes, but it felt like a concerted, and very audible, point was being made that was different to past pockets of protest.
The away fans have previously been most supportive of Wenger but, with former chairman Peter Hill-wood even calling for change, it has become increasing difficult to find an outside voice arguing for the status-quo.
Wenger had not moved from his dugout seat during what was among one of the worst half hours in his entire Arsenal tenure. His team were two goals down against newly-promoted opposition and frankly were fortunate not to have been further behind. “What can I say? I understand the frustration,” Wenger later said.
The Brighton supporters, who had last hosted an Arsenal team in the top-flight some 34 years ago, could not resist a predictable, but humiliating, take on the situation.
“Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay,” they chanted. It is unlikely that they will be granted their wish, although the Europa League – in which Arsenal will face AC Milan on Thursday – does offer the one remaining straw at which Wenger can now realistically clutch.
Arsenal did almost still salvage a point here, but what was an eighth defeat in 2018 alone means that the gap to Tottenham Hotspur in fourth – and Manchester City at the top – has further widened to respectively 13 and 33 points.
A repeated failure to sufficiently strengthen in midfield and defence is coming back to haunt Arsenal and, having stayed aboard a tightrope for several seasons, Wenger is now hanging by a fingertip.
The irony was that Arsenal actually began here with a moderate amount of purpose. They were initially dominant in possession, but an overlapping run from Ezequiel Schelotto seemed suddenly to make Brighton realise the fragility of their visitors. Marking the opposition centre-backs might seem the obvious defensive prerequisite of a corner, but even that was forgotten as Shane Duffy rose to beat Petr Cech and head back across Arsenal’s six-yard box for Lewis Dunk to volley into an empty goal.
Arsenal’s defending was poor, but even more alarming was how the players seemed so panicked by no more than an early setback.
Rather than fashion the expected positive response, they were instead further cowered, as Brighton sensed that the game was already theirs for the taking.
Laurent Koscielny repeatedly lost possession in his attempts to play the ball out of defence, while Brighton wingers Anthony Knockaert and Jose Izquierdo were understandably relishing the chance to run at Sead Kolasinac and Calum Chambers.
A flurry of Brighton chances followed. Izquierdo had a shot defected wide and several Pascal Gross attempts were saved by Cech, but a second goal did deservedly arrive. Koscielny again squandered possession, allowing Gross to curl his cross over a statuesque Shkodran Mustafi for Glenn Murray to head beneath Cech.
It was another error by the Arsenal goalkeeper, but he had little protection. For Murray, it was an 11th Premier League goal of the season and his sixth in 2018.
Only Sergio Aguero and Mohamed Salah have more. “Murray for England,” sang the Brighton fans, although Wenger was, by now, the main focus for chanting from both sets of supporters.
His team did finally rally. Alex Iwobi linked with Granit Xhaka and his clever pass into the Brighton penalty area allowed Pierreemerick Aubameyang to narrow Brighton’s lead.
Arsenal then almost drew level on the stroke of half-time when Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s cross was headed against a post by Koscielny.
Arsenal were also on the frontfoot throughout most of the second-half, but still susceptible to the counter-attack and, on one break forward, Schelotto collided worryingly with Kolasinac’s shoulder. His head jarred back and he went down heavily, before being helped off the pitch.
That meant that there would be seven minutes of added time but, even after introducing the pace of both Danny Welbeck and Hector Bellerin, Arsenal rarely threatened.
Brighton, who are unbeaten in seven and now probably within a win of safety, celebrated with ecstatic chants of “We are staying up”. It drowned out those Arsenal supporters who had remained but, with ‘Wenger Out’ banners on prominent display, the message both on and off the pitch had been unmistakable.