Wenger announcement ‘soon’, Cahill saves Chelsea
GUNNERS’ SLUMP CONTINUES AS THEY GO DOWN 3-1 TO WEST BROM
rsene Wenger revealed he will make an announcement about his Arsenal future “very soon” after his side’s problems increased in a 3-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion yesterday.
“I know what I’ll do in my future, so you will know very soon,” Wenger told reporters after Arsenal’s fourth loss in five Premier League games.
Wenger, Arsenal’s manager since 1996, is under heavy pressure after his side were thrashed 10-2 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in the Champions League and fell five points off the top four in the Premier League.
Gary Cahill’s 87th-minute winner earned runaway leaders Chelsea a 2-1 victory at Stoke City, while champions Leicester City’s resurgence continued with a 3-2 victory at West Ham United.
Craig Dawson scored two headers at The Hawthorns as West Brom condemned Arsenal to a sixth defeat in nine games in all competitions.
Dawson’s 12th-minute opener was cancelled out by Alexis Sanchez, but substitute Hal Robson-Kanu restored the hosts’ lead before Dawson headed in his second goal with 15 minutes to play.
Rival groups of Arsenal fans paid for two planes trailing banners to fly over the ground during the game, one reading “NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT”, the other “IN ARSENE WE TRUST”.
“You will see,” Wenger added on the subject of his future. “Today I do not necessarily worry about that. We are in a unique bad patch we never had in 20 years. We lose game after game at the moment and that for me is much more important than my future.”
Little problem
Arsenal also lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to a muscular problem and Wenger revealed talisman Sanchez had sustained an ankle injury that “doesn’t look good”.
Chelsea were missing Eden Hazard at Stoke’s Bet365 Stadium due to what manager Antonio Conte termed a “little problem”.
They took the lead in the 13th minute when Willian’s free-kick from wide on the left caught out Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant at his near post.
Jonathan Walters levelled with a 38th-minute penalty awarded for a push on him by Cahill, but the England defender atoned to smash in a late winner from Cesc Fabregas’s free-kick.
Stoke’s Phil Bardsley was sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.
Chelsea provisionally moved 13 points clear of Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester ahead of today’s games.
Second-place Tottenham host Southampton, while City, level on points with Spurs, entertain Liverpool, who trail Pep Guardiola’s side by a point.
A day after being drawn against Atletico Madrid in the City 3 1 4 1 0 3 2 Arsenal Watford Hull Chelsea Burnley Arsenal Leicester
Arsenal manager
Champions League quarter-finals, Leicester won 3-2 at West Ham to record a fourth straight win since Craig Shakespeare succeeded Claudio Ranieri as manager.