Wenger: Why things are not that great at the Emirates

Arsene Wenger has attempted to explain why there is a difference between the Gunners’ form at home and away so far this season. 

Arsenal are still in the hunt for their first Premier League title since 2004 as they sit just three points behind league leaders Chelsea after a comfortable victory over West Ham over the weekend.

The win extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run in the Premier League to 13 games but there is still some concern over the team’s form at the Emirates stadium where they have already dropped seven points this season.

Indeed, the Gunners have only lost twice in all competitions this term and both defeats came on home turf in the 4-3 loss to Liverpool back in August and last Wednesday’s League Cup disappointment against Southampton.

Thus, Wenger has suggested his side might be struggling to deal with the pressure of breaking down the opposition at the Emirates.

“I felt that maybe we play with freedom away from home,” the Arsenal manager said. “We face a bit less defensive, less compact defensive blocks than at home.

“At home recently, maybe we lost a bit of patience sometimes when it didn’t come off early in the game. Away from home [against West Ham], we played maybe with a little bit less pressure to make the different quickly and are a bit more patient.

“This team has mental quality and focus. I cannot fault their attitude, they have been very strong on that front. Hopefully now we can maintain the quality of our performances week-in, week-out because December is a very important month in England and it’s important for us to maintain that level.”