Gunned down, Arsenal need fresh ammo

The rot set in with a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United, ending an historic unbeaten run of 49 league games and heralding a sequence that has yielded just six points from six games.

Chelsea, five points behind Arsenal in mid-October, are now five points in front.

Confidence has been undermined and opponents have realised that Arsenal’s fluid attacking game can be checked by getting men behind the ball and winning the physical battle in midfield.

Unable to impose themselves, Arsenal were second best for virtually the whole of the first half on Sunday and only posed a threat after the break, when skipper Patrick Vieira equalised.

‘‘In the first half we didn’t create enough chances, in the second we looked more dangerous,” Wenger told Sky Sports. ‘‘But they defended well and were very strong in the challenges today. It was a difficult game.’’

Though Sol Campbell has finally returned in central defence, the absence of injured Brazilians Edu and Gilberto has left Vieira operating with a 17-year-old, Spaniard Francesc Fabregas, in the middle of the park.

The result is that the Premier League’s best defence last season has not kept a clean sheet in their last 12 games, something which Wenger acknowledged as a big concern.

However, the Frenchman who has led Arsenal to three league titles and as many FA Cups since he took over in 1996 is convinced that adversity will bring the best out of his side.

‘‘At the moment, everything goes against us’’, said Wenger. ‘‘But that’s a good way of showing how strong we are because every mistake at the moment we pay for it. You have periods like that and we’ve gone through that before. But it’s time we realised we have to be much more consistent.’’

Arsenal’s plight is not helped by the fact that winger Robert Pires is short of his best form and striker Thierry Henry has been struggling with an Achilles problem all season.

Unlike their main title rivals, Arsenal also have the continuing distraction of qualifying in the Champions League.

While Chelsea reached the knockout phase with two games to spare and Manchester United booked their place last week, Arsenal’s stumbling campaign will go down to the wire.

After four consecutive draws, Wenger’s side face a decider against Rosenborg Trondheim at Highbury on December 7, followed five days later by a crunch Premier League game at home to Chelsea.

Before then, Arsenal’s second string side face Manchester United in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, though Wenger would not lose any sleep if his youngsters were beaten.

If the first team missed out on a place in the Champions League’s last 16 and then lose to Chelsea, though, the ensuing mid-winter would be a particularly bleak one at Highbury.

(Reuters)