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Arsenal round-up: Arsene Wenger’s derby reaction: Petr Cech on defeat; Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk in talks
Arsenal were beaten by their local rivals Tottenham after they delivered a poor performance in the North London Derby. They were outplayed on the day and it could have easily been a more convincing victory as Spurs created several clear-cut chances. This will be the first season that they have finished behind their local rivals in 22 years and Arsene Wenger reacted with the following on :
“Well done to them, but when you start the championship the target is not to finish above Spurs, it is to fight for the title. In 20 years it happened once.
“Mathematically it has to happen once. We are not happy with it but we don’t compare ourselves to Spurs, we compare ourselves to where we want to be.”
Although Wenger is playing down the fact that they will be finishing below Spurs, it does represent a failing on his part. The pressure on him will only increase as a result, due to the Gunners losing the bragging rights in North London. Many supporters tolerated the Frenchman as he consistently delivered Champions League football and wins over Tottenham. That hasn’t been the case this season and there will be more pushing for his exit after this result.
The players didn’t show the same fight and desire as the Tottenham players, while the flaws of the 3-4-3 system were there for all to see. It was evident that some weren’t comfortable with their new roles and they were no match for the dynamic Spurs attack. The reaction from the dressing room came from Petr Cech as he acknowledged that this wasn’t the game to lose on :
“I am very disappointed. This is not the game to lose,”
“It was a huge game for both teams and they managed to win. At half-time we were in the game and wanted to improve.”
Although the goalkeeper was the best performer in a Gunners shirt, these are more empty words from an Arsenal player that won’t mean a lot to the fans. This is the worst season in the club’s recent history and this was another bad day for them. The team delivered a poor performance in a big game and that has become a theme of this season. They may have beaten Manchester City last weekend, but that was the exception rather than the rule. It is difficult to see how the team recover from this.
The summer can’t come soon enough for Arsenal as they desperately need a rebuild to get the team back to competing at the top of the league. Virgil van Dijk is a prominent target and report that the Dutchman has already held talks with the Gunners and Liverpool. Meanwhile, Manchester City are also believed to be in the race to capture the Southampton centre-back. The player prefers a move to the Etihad Stadium, but as City have other targets, it is possible that he may move elsewhere.
It would be a huge coup if Arsenal were to secure the services of Virgil van Dijk. He has been one of the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League and he has the potential to compete at the very highest level. The Dutchman is a modern-day centre-half, who is capable of launching attacks from deep. In addition to this, he is a physical beast and he would instantly improve the Gunners’ defence. The player will be looking for a Champions League club and that could prevent an Arsenal move unless the Gunners manage to make the top six.
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