Despite claiming his side are mentally tougher than in previous seasons, the Gunners boss claimed defeat against Barcelona dented their belief ahead of their trip to Old Trafford
Arsene Wenger has admitted that defeat against Barcelona in the Champions League affected Arsenal’s morale ahead of last Sunday’s crunch clash against Manchester United.
Hot on the heels of a comprehensive 2-0 reversal against the reigning European champions, Arsenal lost ground in the Premier League title race after a demoralising 3-2 loss against Louis van Gaal’s makeshift side.
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Wenger had previously cited United’s spending power as reason for their defeat and suggested their opponents’ injury crisis had been overstated.
Ahead of Wednesday’s must-win clash against Swansea, however, Wenger revealed that his side’s confidence had been affected by the chastening experience they received at the hands of Lionel Messi.
"We gave a lot against Barcelona and that certainly had an impact on our belief against Manchester United," he told reporters.
- Goal