Wenger – Title race is FAR from over!

Most Arsenal fans and just about every pundit in the world is convinced that no-one can stop Chelsea from winning the Premier League this season, and even Arsene Wenger said that they were practically unstoppable recently.

Le Prof was slammed on this website for giving up so early in the season, and now it seems that he has changed his tune after Sunderland managed to restrict Jose Mourinho’s team to a 0-0 draw this weekend.

‘We have fought many times for the title.” Wenger said in the Mail. “People always remember who won it, but the fight has been very tight for long periods in the last eight or nine years. We have a big competition in England, we have to accept that.

‘The Premier League level goes always up and this season Chelsea have started very well. They will be difficult to catch, but everybody will fight to come back on them.

‘After 13 or 14 games, you cannot say that the title race is over. You cannot say that is not catchable.’

This remark is in stark contrast to what our manager said just three weeks ago after watching the Gunners lose to Swansea. He said on the BBC: “Look at the season and Chelsea are on course for 105 points. Look at the number of points they have today and if they keep that up nobody will touch them, that’s for sure.

“They have had a good start and as long as you don’t lose you don’t question yourself,” Wenger concluded. “Maybe a little bit more extra spirit in the team helps them when it gets tight.”

Maybe he was just having a little dig at hs own players that were lacking in the team spirit department, but that doesn’t change the fact that this weeken’s result was only the third time Chelsea had drawn this season, and have won every single other game. Does anyone else think that Chelsea could get knocked off th top spot in the League?

Tags Chelsea title race Wenger

29 Comments

  1. Lets be honest, we arent going to challenge for the title, not when we only have 6 defenders n no top class dm. Even if chelsea slips up, man city are right behind them n I cant see both of them throwing the title away. The best I hope for me is to finish in the top 3 n pray we get the right players in next summer

    1. chelsea too have only 6 defenders, we even have a slightly better squad depth than chelsea. the problem is that we have 11 injuries whereas chelsea have none

      1. @The Handsome_Gooner.
        “…the problem is that we have 11 injuries whereas chelsea have none”.

        That my friend, is the BIG difference.

    2. Answering the question helps put comments in context. The writer asked if chelsea may end up not winning the league. The answer is yes. You only have to look at the 2011/2012 season. Chelsea went on a flyer and were crowned champions in October. The man city opened a 13 points gap before it was overhauled by man u who themselces opened a 9 points gap at the top. We know that man city were crowned champions that season. Chelsea finished 5th with 66 points. So anything is possible in this league.

  2. I will be supporting Arsenal to win the EPL untill it becomes literally (mathematically) impossible to win it or when we win it

    1. @The Handsome_Gooner.

      Yeah, I know that feeling too well.
      You know, I was like that last season! I was like you until Arsene Wenger showed me the light. Precisely on January 31st 2014, I learnt that it is okay to be realistic.

      4th is good for me, thank you Arsene.

  3. Can somebody tell Wegner he already said the title race was over for us. Anyway Ihave to admit Wegner is very entertaining man.

    1. You see, I have often said that Arsene Wenger -even with all of his experience and calm demeanor- is not immune to panic. Now this change of tone every now then -“Nobody can catch Chelsea”, “We can still win the league”- is strong evidence of that. Atleast it shows that either the man is confused and panicked or the pressure is getting to him.

      1. Your comments show that you have reading problems. Wenger said if chelsea maintain their performance no one will catch. In the second interview he says exactly the same thing that chelsea will be difficult to catch. He how ever added that every one will fight to overhaul them at the top. He also added that there is still time to do the catch up. Those are hardly contradictory statements to me. What he did not say is to specifically state that arsenal can overhaul chelsea as you are insinuating now.

        Having your own mind when reading other people’s opinions can save the embarassment.

      1. You think you clever or funny? If I could I would tell him.At least I’m brave enough to have my own opinion.

  4. “People always remember who won [the league] but our fight has been very tight for long periods in the last eight or nine years” – Wenger…eh eh…we don’t want to fight only we want to win it……
    “We have a big competition in England, we have to accept that” – Wenger. Translation: don’t expect league titles any time soon.

  5. What is this talk of Chelsea and City, we are falling behind UTD!!!
    We need to win our next 2 games and UTD need to lose one and draw one for us to go draw level but they have a better GD so we would still be behind them, so to move ahead we need 2 wins, they need to lose 2.
    People here talking about Chelsea!!!

    I am all for going down slugging but this campaign has been a masterclass in mismanagement.

    1. People are not taking Manchester United seriously. And I don’t blame them. There are reasons not to (the same reason many haven’t taken our title challenge seriously for some time now). However, there is a very good chance that Manchester United finishes in 3rd position. And we know what that means. Added pressure not just to claim a place in the top 4, but also not to lose out in the fight with 1 or 2 other teams for the 4th spot. We will most likely end up getting away with it. But do we really want to take that risk again?

    2. There are 25 games remaining to end of season. Man u will drop points and arsenal will drop points it is consistency that will determine who finishes where. While man u have won 4 games in a row their performance has not been that convincing both in attack and defence. They arr thanking football stars that stoke city chances at the death never went in. They can not claim yhey deserve to win at the emirates. All arsenal needs to do is to concentrate on its performance the rest will sort itself out.

  6. Anything can happen quite honestly… and although Chelsea have been good, they are not impossible to beat. When we played them, we had more possession and 10 shots at goal. Chelsea only had 5, 3 of those on target, one being a penalty. Their players were dirty all game, especially that tackle Cahill made on Sanchez. The score was not a true reflection, as have been most of our games this season. They just need to lose once and gravity will do its thing. We just need to keep focusing on each game at a time and our players need to work hard above everything else. On top of that our injury list is shortening and key players are returning.

    1. Chelsea is not Arsenal to slip from the top.Jose is not Wegner to let this happen. Please we have to be realistic. If I really will have to deal with Wegner for the next 3 years I need some happy pills.

    2. @Big Gun
      “When we played them, we had more possession and 10 shots at goal. Chelsea only had 5, 3 of those on target, one being a penalty…..”

      I read that as: “When we played them, we were wasteful, while on the other hand, Chelsea were more ruthless and efficient”.
      OR
      “When we played them, we were being the usual Arsene Arsenal, while on the other hand, Chelsea were the usual Jose Mourinho Chelsea”.

      Look, if we are entertaining any sort of hope that Chelsea (under the same pragmatical a-hole Jose Mourinho) will let their lead slip away like we did last season, then maybe we are some bunch of deluded fools. C’mon, we know this! Let us not lie to ourselves.

      PS: By the way, I enjoyed your article. Well-written.

  7. Let us be realistic here. To win the title Arsenal would need to win nearly every EPL game going forward when they have struggled to get a win against lower-table clubs.

    Chelsea would also need to falter repeatedly with their massively deep squad. Additionally, other clubs would need to falter repeatedly while all this is going on.

    Things can change rapidly in football, this is true. But Wenger gave up the title race when he inexplicably stopped his transfer pursuits when the job was only half done.

    I happen to live in the real world during the week. But each weekend/game I return to the world of fan mania where anything can happen. Talk to me then.

  8. Let’s concentrate on us. We’re not exactly firing on all cylinders and losing Arteta put little bit handbrakes on our challenge. If we win the remaining six games this year, including the game against Liverpool, then I would begin to take the team seriously. Until then, can we concentrate on wiping off West ham and Southampton off our windshield? :/

  9. Mr Wenger,you are so right,the title race is far from over but unfortunately we’re not in it.
    I

  10. Once there still lies a chance to win the title i think all fans will support any team, what matters is if they did try to compete, if the did not thats a different story

  11. 4th place has been a title for arsenal since ’05 so he’s right, we’ll get that 4th place trophy once again don’t worry about that. By January we will get most of our players back and I don’t think Everton/Tot or Southampton are a match for us. Once we fall out of the CL that’s when we’ll be gaining those points we need to finish top 4.

    way to be a gooner!!

  12. Wenger said “the title fight has been close for long periods..”, uhh no!

    2013-14 7pts off Man City
    2012-13 16pts off Man Utd
    2011-12 19pts off Man City
    2010-11 12pts off Man Utd

    He will say next we will beat a big team! Pigs will fly.

  13. I know we have finished 2nd place once (forgot whigh year) within the last decade, but usually 4th place. So Wenger we haven’t been close.

    Chelski, Man United and Man City have won PL titles and even Liverfools were close last season.
    because of your leadership, we will be called Sanchez FC until even he quits.

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