ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Wenger rues fixture pile-up after great escape
London — A despairing Arsene Wenger insisted Arsenal were put at a major disadvantage before his side staged an epic escape in their 3-3 draw at Bournemouth. Charlie Daniels, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser gave Bournemouth a shock 3-0 lead at Dean Court on Tuesday before Alexis Sanchez, Lucas Perez and Olivier Giroud netted to complete a stunning fightback. But Gunners boss Wenger blamed his team’s sluggish start on an extra 24 hours preparation for Bournemouth, who played on Saturday, as opposed to Arsenal, who beat Crystal Palace 2-0 only 48 hours before the game. And he suggested Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Laurent Koscielny, Gabriel and Hector Bellerin were not fully fit to play in a match that left Arsenal eight points behind leaders Chelsea, who have a game in hand at Tottenham on Wednesday. "It was a physical test and a mental test," said Wenger. "It is too uneven to have only two days to play against a team who had over three days’ rest. "Hector Bellerin had a knock, [he] was un...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.