Arsene Wenger: Bad 10 Minutes Cost Arsenal

Arsenal must now concentrate on the Champions League where they are due to play Dinamo Zagreb at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

Arsenal did have the chance to win a point from the game with a Santi Cazorla penalty – but he slipped and put the spot-kick over the bar.

With Arsenal already missing several key players, Arteta came on for the injured Francis Coquelin in the first half only to go off injured himself shortly after the break.

Arsenal continued to dominate possession and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 28 minutes.

Wenger said ahead of the weekend’s action: “I am anxious because before he went away with Chile he was a bit jaded”.

It got better for the home side just before the halftime break, as Arteta deflected McClean’s cross into the back of his own net to hand West Brom the lead.

Cazorla’s freakish penalty miss six minutes from time summed up a deeply frustrating experience for Arsenal and this defeat will inevitably raise renewed doubts over their title credentials. Not so. West Brom were level in the 35th minute, from another set-piece, with James Morrison looping Chris Brunt’s free-kick over Petr Cech.

Speaking to Arsenal.com after the game, Wenger confirmed he’s not yet sure how serious the two injuries are but revealed that we should know more on Coquelin on Sunday – presumably after he has a scan on his knee.

“It is a big blow for us”.

Goals from Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and an own goal from Eliaquim Mangala sunk City, who threatened to come back into the game through a Sergio Aguero goal but were in the end unable to do so.

Arsenal played their last card by sending on Joel Campbell – and the Costa Rican squandered a golden opportunity to make it 2-2, horribly miscuing a half-volley from Cazorla’s cross.

“You’ve got (Mesut) Ozil, Cazorla, players of that quality too”.

Arsenal had not lost to Albion since 2010 and looked on course to extend that sequence when Olivier Giroud headed them into the lead in the first half.

Wenger clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk to the press extensively after the match, and his press conference lasted just a few minutes.