Arsenal suffered an ugly defeat over the weekend as they fell to Manchester United in Premier League play, 3-2. That came after a 2-0 defeat against Barcelona in Champions League play, leaving many to wonder if the team is just about done for the season. With injuries piling up, manager Arsene Wenger has no interest in listening to the critics.
Critics are going about questioning Wenger's ability to lead Arsenal this season as the team remains in the running for the Premier League title. With games against Swansea and Tottenham coming up, Arsenal is under pressure to perform and Wenger has not lost confidence.
"I'm never surprised by the criticism that comes, that's part of the media today. The opinions are always a bit excessive and emotional. But we have to deal with that, and I don't complain about that," Wenger said. "What we want to do is to transform the negatives around us into positives and create even more solidarity."
Injuries will be what sets the team back. Arsenal announced that midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will miss six to eight weeks due to a knee injury. The English international suffered the injury against Barcelona. He will reportedly not need surgery, which should give some hope for a quick return, but his absence will be felt right away. Arsenal is set to host Swansea on Wednesday, while five points behind Leicester in the standings. Wenger claims the injury will not hurt the team's ability to bounce back.
"We had a very bad week, and it's down to us to make this week a very good week. That's why you love competition," Wenger said. "A bad week is not permanent. It's what you make of it, and how you respond. That's the beauty in sports, things change quickly one way or the other."
Wenger is eyeing upgrades come the summer transfer window that could help Arsenal in the future. The team did not spend much this year and has plenty saved up for the next few months. Wenger believes the team can really take advantage of the added funds to help build up depth to battle injuries. Before spending this summer, Arsenal was expected to give Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez new contracts, something Wenger denies to be true. He noted the two are not close on getting new contracts and Arsenal will focus on outside help.
"I think if we want to buy at the end of the season, money will be available," Wenger said. "But at the moment we want to influence our performances and results. The money, until the end of the season will not help us."
