Arsène Wenger has written off Arsenal’s hopes of winning the title and admitted they are looking over their shoulders in the race to qualify for the Champions League after drawing 1-1 with Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal trail Leicester City by 13 points with five games left after they were denied by Yannick Bolasie’s late equaliser, and Wenger has lowered his sights. They are fourth after falling below Manchester City on goal difference and lead Manchester United by four points.
“Honestly after the game today I am not in that kind of mood to dream about the championship, I am more in the kind of mood to repair the mental damage and prepare for the next game,” Arsenal’s manager said. “It is much more about that and to look behind us because everybody is playing well and winning games. For us it could be a fight until the end to get the place in the top four. If we can do more, we will do more but let’s not dream and focus on the next game.”
Arsenal had led thanks to an Alexis Sánchez goal. “You have to sometimes win 1-0 and this was one of those days,” Wenger said.
Palace moved nine points clear of Sunderland, who are 18th, and a step closer to safety. “I think you have to be very careful as a Premier League manager because you guys can definitely kick us to pieces when we say something silly,” Alan Pardew said. “But I do think it’s going to be difficult maybe for two of those teams to get 40 below us because with our goal difference that’s probably what we need. One could do it, I don’t know. But we still have four games left. I think we’re a mid-table team and we need to prove that.”