Wenger: Top four hopes over for Arsenal

Matt Stead

Arsene Wenger has admitted that it is ‘almost impossible’ for Arsenal to finish in the top four after their 2-1 defeat at Brighton on Sunday.

The Gunners went into the contest on the back of damaging defeats to Manchester City in both the Carabao Cup final and the Premier League, as well as losing the home leg of their Europa League tie with Ostersund.

And their season continues to unravel following this 2-1 reverse, with a large section of the travelling support calling for Wenger’s head at one point in the first half.

Wenger had said confidence was low at the Emirates Stadium and it showed as Seagulls skipper Lewis Dunk opened the scoring on seven minutes before Glenn Murray doubled the advantage.

Arsenal responded in fits and starts, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turning home the consolation before the interval, but the Gunners left for north London still with only three away league wins to their name this season.

Wenger told the BBC: “We were passive, struggling for confidence and heavy legged but responded well in the second-half.

“It is difficult to recover from what happened to us last week – we are going through a tough time.”

The Frenchman also admitted that his side’s hopes of finishing in the top four are now all but over.

“It is very difficult, nearly impossible now, we are too far behind. We need two teams to collapse not one. But at the moment we have different worries in how to comeback to winning a game.

“It is important to recover mentally and physically, we are still jaded today, we gave a lot on Thursday night and you can see that today.”