Arsenal weaknesses exposed at Leicester but Arsene Wenger plays down transfer talk
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger appealed for trust but refused to promise fans any deadline-day signings after his injury-hit squad’s limitations were laid bare at newly promoted Leicester yesterday.
Marquee summer signing Alexis Sanchez struck his first Premier League goal for the Gunners but it was swiftly negated by Leonardo Ulloa’s headed reply and Wenger’s men thereafter laboured in attack, where Yaya Sanogo struggled to replicate the sidelined Olivier Giroud’s threat.
Wenger’s injury worries deepened when he lost centre-back Laurent Koscielny to a head injury, leaving Arsenal without any fit defensive cover, yet played down talk of adding reinforcements before tonight’s transfer deadline.
“As long as the transfer market is open it makes everyone dream by thinking the solution is always somewhere but it’s not necessarily obvious,” he said.
“We are out there and we’ll try our best and you have to trust us. You can’t think every time you don’t win a game there’s a miracle man who can win you the game.
“Why did Manchester City not win against Stoke? They have plenty of strikers. Football is a team sport and we cannot sell it too much as an individual sport.
“I’ve been in England long enough to know I don’t want to promise when I’m not 100 per cent. It is not unlimited money because that’s not the way we manage the club.”
Arsenal suffered an early setback at the King Power Stadium when Koscielny suffered a heavy blow to the back of the head in an aerial collision with Leicester wide man Jeff Schlupp.
Koscielny returned after lengthy treatment but looked dazed when failing to pick up Ulloa for Leicester’s equaliser soon afterwards, the Argentine placing a firm header onto Schlupp’s left-wing cross.
Just two minutes earlier Arsenal had taken the lead when Santi Cazorla’s chip sent Sanogo through on goal and his scuffed shot fell kindly for Sanchez to sweep home a low drive from close range.
Ulloa had the best chance to win the match shortly after half-time when he broke clear after turning substitute Calum Chambers, but hooked his shot into the side-netting.