Wenger rues another big-game loss

Frustrated ... Arsene Wenger is outgunned by Andre Villas-Boas. Source: Adam Davy / AAP

Arsene Wenger admitted it was frustrating to lose another big game following Arsenal's defeat at White Hart Lane but rejected suggestions that Tottenham Hotspur were now the top team in North London.

Spurs had offered little as an attacking force before goals from Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon in a decisive spell just before half-time.

The Gunners pulled a goal back when Per Mertesacker's header was deflected in but they could not salvage a point and Wenger was again left to bemoan defensive mistakes.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Man United	28	23	2	3	37	71
2	Man City	27	16	8	3	26	56
3	Tottenham	28	16	6	6	16	54
4	Chelsea	28	15	7	6	26	52
5	Arsenal	28	13	8	7	21	47
6	Everton	28	11	12	5	9	45
7	Liverpool	28	11	9	8	19	42
8	Swansea	28	10	10	8	5	40
9	West Brom	28	12	4	12	1	40
10	Fulham	28	8	9	11	-5	33
11	Stoke	28	7	12	9	-7	33
12	West Ham	28	9	6	13	-9	33
13	Norwich	28	7	11	10	-18	32
14	Sunderland	28	7	9	12	-7	30
15	Newcastle	28	8	6	14	-11	30
16	Southampton	28	6	9	13	-12	27
17	Wigan	28	6	6	16	-22	24
18	Aston Villa	27	5	9	13	-26	24
19	Reading	28	5	8	15	-20	23
20	QPR	28	3	11	14	-23	20

"It is difficult to swallow a defeat like that because of the effort we put in," he told Sky Sports.

"We made it difficult for ourselves. They had no shots on goal and then we were down 2-0.

"We came back in the second half and dominated the game again, but it was difficult to get a flow in the final 20 minutes because there were a lot of stops and we didn't find a second goal."

The result left Arsenal five points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea and seven behind Spurs, but Wenger is refusing to give up in the battle for Champions League qualification.

He said: "It is very frustrating but we have to put the energy in like we did today and keep going and you never know.

"It would be absolutely terrible not to fight like mad because there is a lot of positives in the game.

"What happened today we have seen repeated so many times in big games that of course it's difficult."

Questioned on whether there had been a power shift in North London, Wenger replied: "That's not the impression I got from the game today.

"We were not efficient in those decisive zones, not at the back or up front. We were not cautious enough. On the two goals we played offside in a position where we shouldn't play offside." 

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Meanwhile, Andre Villas-Boas hailed an important win but insisted his players would not be taking anything for granted in the race for the Champions League.

"It was very, very important for what it means, but obviously nothing is finished yet," he told Sky Sports.

"We have to believe that we still have to fight hard. We have to play Liverpool (next weekend) and we have to try to profit from another important fixture and keep doing our job.

"It is important we gather as many points as we can to finish where we want to be."

Arsenal finished strongly last season to pip Tottenham to third, with Chelsea's Champions League triumph ensuring Spurs missed out on this season's competition.

"Last year, by this time, Arsenal made the difference of seven points to Tottenham and we know how it finished," Villas-Boas added.

"Motivations are now different. We are extremely confident. They are on a low at the moment.

"We have to continue to do our job."

Read more: http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11661/8538479/Tottenham-boss-Andre-Villas-Boas-refuses-to-get-carried-away-after-derby-win

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