Arsenal lost 1: 2 to Manchester United at home in the 22nd round of the league tournament at the Emirates Stadium.
Valencia broke the deadlock for Manchester United in stoppage time in the first half. Arsenal captain Robin van Persie equalized the score in the 71st minute and Manchester United star Welbeck killed Arsenal in the 81st minute.
Wenger commented on the game after the game, "We played very hard in the first half. We were a little nervous because we had lost two games in a row, so we played under heavy pressure today. We had a chance to win the game in the second half, but our defense made a mistake and we lost the second goal. But we played very well in the second half and at 1: 1, it looked like we could win the game. "
Arsenal suffered three consecutive defeats in the Premier League and were five points behind Chelsea in the standings. Wenger said, "After this game, we are in a very difficult position because we can't afford to lose again. But we can also see a lot of positive elements from this game. The way we responded in the second half was quite positive. "
Wenger also said, "I feel that the referee is generally fair. We played to our standards in the second half, but unfortunately, we didn't get the points in return. But we need to maintain that spirit and continue to play hard. "
The highlight of Arsenal's game was the 18-year-old Chamberlain assisting Robin van Persie to equalize the score in the 71st minute. But only three minutes later, Wenger replaced the outstanding Chamberlain with Arshavin. Wenger's strange substitution caused the 60,000 Arsenal fans in the stands at the Emirates Stadium to boo. Many Arsenal fans even sang "You don't know what you're doing" against Wenger. Captain Robin van Persie also showed his dissatisfaction and blurted out "No". This kind of treatment was rare for the beloved Wenger.
Wenger explained about the substitution, "Chamberlain's calf is starting to overdraw. He was sick this week. He has given a lot and he has not adapted to that kind of intensity. "
Wenger said to the fans' reaction, "I don't need you to approve of this decision, but you should be able to understand it. I have made thousands of substitutions over the years and the fans have not always approved of my substitutions. I made the decision, and I stand by it. "
Wenger added, "One is an 18-year-old kid who is starting for the first time in the Premier League and the other is the captain of his country's national team. Do they have doubts about that? Let's be serious. People pay for tickets to get in and they have the right to express their feelings. We have to deal with that situation. We can't give orders to the fans, but that doesn't mean the fans are right. We had just lost the game, but I stood up for my substitution. I have been a coach for 30 years and I have made 50000 substitutions. Do I have to justify every substitution to you? I defended my decision. There's no need for me to explain to you every time I change players. "
As for the many Arsenal fans who wanted to spend money on signings in the winter, Wenger said, "Spending money is not the goal. Buying good players is the real goal. We need our players back from injury. People don't realize that we have 10 players out. As you can see, we still created good opportunities in the second half of the game even when those injured players were unable to play. It is important to get those injured players back. "
Arsenal, who did not have a Champions League mission this season, also performed badly in the UEFA Europa League. They were eliminated in the group stage. The team's widespread injuries were an important reason for the Gunners' progress, but the fans could not understand the club's reluctance to spend big money to bring in star players.
When The Sun interviewed the Gunners fans on the streets, many people said that Wenger was no longer suitable for the Gunners. Wenger's coaching strategy and team building model were no longer in line with the survival rules of the top clubs in European football.
Vieira's departure was the beginning of all the disasters. Now we don't know how long it will take for Arsenal to return to the ranks of the champions. Before the start of every season, we were still willing to blindly trust Wenger, but after two or three months, we found out that we had been deceived. Wenger's bold words did not come true at all, and then we finished the season in confusion and pain. "
The hearts of the Arsenal fans were sad to hear, but for the other Premier League championship teams, the Gunners' decline was always a good thing. There was one less rival for the title.
After 22 rounds, the polarization of the top groups in the table was even more serious.
Manchester City 51 points, one goal ahead of Liverpool.
Liverpool 51 points.
Manchester United 50 points.
Chelsea 41 points.
Arsenal 36 points.
For the other teams, they could take a break for a while, but Liverpool could not!
In the next ten days, the Red Army had to play two domestic cup games.
On January 25, Manchester City visited Anfield.
The second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final arrived as scheduled.
In the previous leg, Liverpool had established a 2: 0 lead at the Etihad Stadium. Four days later, Liverpool had to face Manchester United in the FA Cup. It could be said to be a series of fierce battles. Comain did his best to adjust the team, cutting through obstacles on all fronts and trying to keep the team from being overworked.
For the second leg at Anfield, Comain's lineup was mainly steely defense.
At Anfield Stadium, Mancini was a little absent-minded when he saw Liverpool's starting lineup.
4312.
Goalkeeper: Reina.
Defenders: Carragher, Skrtel, Thiago Silva, Agger.
Midfielders: Tiote, Mascherano, Cabaye, Lucas.
Forwards: Dirk Kuyt, Suárez.
Including Suárez and Dirk Kuyt, who withdrew from the front line to defend, Liverpool used a frenzied sweep at home to disrupt the game.
Manchester City was completely unprepared, or it could be said that after they lost Yaya Toure, the team's operation was not smooth enough.
In the fierce 90-minute battle for the ball, Liverpool used a steely defense to contain Manchester City's offensive, and played a simple and crude offensive in several quick attacks and counterattacks. Suárez scored two goals and defeated Manchester City again at 2: 0 at home.
In the two legs of the EFL Cup semi-final, Liverpool defeated Manchester City in a double!
The overall score was 4: 0 and they advanced to the EFL Cup final!
In the other semi-final, Cardiff City defeated Crystal Palace 1: 0 at home. After the game went into overtime, Cardiff City defeated Crystal Palace in overtime and would meet Liverpool in this season's EFL Cup final!
When Fleet Street looked forward to the EFL Cup final a month later, they wrote in the article: Liverpool is expected to taste the taste of the championship in February!
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