Wenger and O’Neill bicker over goalless draw

Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 0. Arsene Wenger left Villa Park a frustrated man having seen his side drop two points after a goalless draw against Aston Villa. It wasn’t the best start to Arsenal’s crucial quartet of games that next sees them take on Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool in a ten-day period.

And Wenger’s dismay was exacerbated by the news that defender Thomas Vermaelen suffered a suspected broken leg in the first-half and that striker Eduardo will miss United’s visit to the Emirates on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

Not surprisingly, Wenger needed to vent his anger and he did so in a fierce critique of Villa’s playing style. “We dropped two points because we had clear chances,” said Wenger after the game that saw the Gunners lose ground to Chelsea, whose 3-0 trouncing of Birmingham took them back to the top of the table.

"On the other hand it was a difficult game because they stopped us from playing,” continued the Arsenal manager. “They played a very long ball game and closed us down. So we couldn't find our passing game. It was an efficient English game with long balls and very physical. But we know what we are going to get when we come here.”

Villa boss Martin O’Neill hit the roof when he learned of Wenger’s comments. “That is an appalling insult,” said the Irishman. “As ridiculous a statement as he has made. He has made a few ridiculous statements in his time here and that is only an annoyance.”

O’Neill added that Arsenal were lucky to leave the Midlands with a point because they were outplayed for long periods of the game. He singled out Ashley Young for praise, saying that far from playing the long ball game the winger had “produced some incredible balls into the box that just needed a touch on them”.

It was Young who created Villa’s best two chances of the game – one just before and the other just after the interval. But Stewart Downing hoofed the first over the bar and headed the second wide of the post.

Martin O’Neill’s men have now failed to score in their last four league matches, taking just one point out of a possible 12, and slipping from fourth to seventh in the table

As for Arsenal, they were twice denied by the woodwork with Cesc Fabregas hitting the post shortly before half-time and Tomas Rosicky striking the underside of the crossbar in the second period. The ball ricocheted onto the goal line, but not over it, and Arsenal’s hopes of moving above Manchester United were thwarted.
 
Wenger nonetheless tried to look on the bright side, saying the draw “keeps our run going,” a reference to Arsenal’s ten-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, and “it maintains the positive vibes”.

With an on-fire Wayne Rooney arriving at the Emirates on Sunday, the Gunners need to be thinking positively. ·