The manager believes both Jose Mourinho’s side and Manchester City have improved from last season but feels his side can still trump both despite trailing top spot by nine point
Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal’s nine-point gap to Premier League leaders Chelsea is “massive” but insists his side’s title chances are not over.
Draws with the likes of Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham have stunted the Gunners’ progress this season, with the north London outfit lying eighth after seven games.
Chelsea and last season’s champions Manchester City currently lead the way, with Wenger acknowledging that both have improved since last term but he has not given up hope of a first title in 11 years.
“It is massive, the nine points after seven games, I agree completely, but it is not lost,” he told beIN Sports. “I believe that maybe going forward, City are a bit more complete.
“City are more offensive. Chelsea defensively are better but it’s very difficult to say who will be in front but what we want to do is be in front of both of them.”
Goals from Chelsea stars Eden Hazard and Diego Costa helped Chelsea to record a 2-0 win over Arsenal before the international break, with Wenger’s winless run against Jose Mourinho extending to 12 games.
Critics claim Wenger’s lack of tactical nous to compete at the highest level, but the boss has branded such an assessment as “ridiculous” but conceded his squad did make mistakes during the “traumatic” loss.
“That’s an old, ridiculous debate – I honestly never understand what is Plan A and Plan B and C. It’s a debate of another age,” he said.
“I’ve watched the Chelsea game again and we were guilty of not taking the first chances which were there for us and guilty of making a defensive mistake on their goal, but there was very little between the two teams on the day.
“I think we came out angry and frustrated but also coming that we have an important part to play in this championship.
“We can only look at ourselves and think if we want to get something out of the big games we cannot afford to make the mistakes we made on the two goals.
“It was traumatic for me. The way we lost was very difficult to take. The quality of the team is to make the maximum with what you produce on the day and that’s where we failed.”