Arsène Wenger and Arsenal Players in Clear-The-Air Talks After Drubbing: Nightly Soccer Report

It’s been a difficult weekend for Arsenal players, fans and the manager. After Saturday’s embarrassing performance against Chelsea, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger uncharacteristically failed to turn up for his post-match press conference. And the club announced that Wenger wouldn’t be doing a pre-match press conference for Tuesday’s match against Swansea either.

Earlier today, Arsenal fans were worried about Wenger and how the manager would cope with the 6-0 loss. But the good news for Gunners fans is that Wenger and the players had clear-the-air talks at their training ground Sunday to begin the healing process.

In one of the few interviews Wenger gave after the game on Saturday (but not to the press), he said:

“It leaves it in a very bad situation. But we want to respond. When you don’t turn up in a game of that stature, nobody takes it easy. We have to win the next game and focus on that, to give a strong response. It is going to be tough now, very, very tough, but we have to respond quickly because we are in a situation where, after such a disappointment, the next games become vital.

“We felt we prepared properly with the intensity we did but we did not turn up for our game of the season, so it is puzzling. We were never even in it. After 20 minutes it was game over and it became a long afternoon, a long, dramatic, dreadful afternoon. We were shocked and knocked down. The team is healthy and willing but still the way it happened … we have to think deeply about it because it’s not the first time. You could blame and blame but it does not help. What is important now is we show we have the capacity to respond.”

Wenger will expect Arsenal to make a statement on Tuesday night by beating Swansea. As a Swansea supporter, I’m not looking forward to it.

Here are tonight’s world soccer news headlines:

Premier League

• Arsène Wenger and Arsenal team in clear-the-air talks after drubbing — The Guardian
• Lockdown as Arsenal cancel press conference — ArseBlog
• David Moyes confident United’s upward swing can be carried into derby — The Guardian
• Gus Poyet disappointed by Sunderland’s lack of fight — The Telegraph
• Rise of sport science cannot hold back sands of time for footballers — The Guardian
• Samuel Eto’o could be back in two weeks, says Mourinho — Pro Soccer Talk
• Peter Crouch is England World Cup candidate, says Mark Hughes — The Guardian
• History of Arsenal ticket prices since 1980 — The Arsenal History
• Swansea goalkeeper Michel Vorm discusses Ronald Koeman’s link to manager’s job — Sky Sports

Serie A

• Juventus maintain push for title by beating Catania — The Guardian

MLS

• DC United coach calls BMO Field worst he’s seen in MLS game — Sports Business Daily

Bundesliga

• Bayern Munich rule out summer move for Schalke’s Julian Draxler — The Guardian

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