Norwich 1-0 Arsenal – Wenger reacts:
on the defeat…
Norwich had a good defensive performance; they were focused and committed. We had a lot of the ball but did not create much with it. It was an illusionary domination. It was a disappointing performance on our side.
on the reasons for the defeat…
I felt we lacked a bit of sharpness. We tried to get into the game after 20 minutes. But we missed what makes the success at the top level – that is complete focus. And they were sharper than us.
on the goal…
We do not blame anybody, we many made mistakes today. We have to put that performance behind us, realise that is not good enough and come out on Wednesday with a different performance.
The attitude of the team has been excellent but that was not at the level of what we have produced until now. It was the first time of the season we were way below par. And we were well below today.
on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury…
It was a kick on his hip. It is not long-term. But he will be out for Wednesday.
on Jack Wilshere…
We have to be conscious he has not played for 14 months. I would have brought him on if the game had allowed it today but it was too intense. He will play on Monday with the Reserves and then we will see where we go from there. He needs games.
on the reaction from the defeat…
I hope it will have a positive impact. It was a shock to the system today. But you have to give credit to Norwich today. They played well, were completely committed and they deserved the win. Maybe we underrated the difficulty we would face. But the Premier League is the Premier League. If you are not ready for the fight then you will always have bad surprises. There is a big difference between the amount of possession we had and the amount of chances we created. That is down to the fact that Norwich defended well and we did not create a lot.
on losing players during the international break…
It is not an excuse. We have to deal with that. You could say we have better players but there is only one way to show that – on the football pitch.
on players coming back…
I don’t see anyone new being [back] for Wednesday night. The closest will be Gibbs but he will not be ready. Walcott will not be ready [either].
