Arsene Wenger upset by ‘unacceptable’ Arsenal defending

Arsene Wenger says Arsenal have to turn their derby frustrations into “positive energy” when the Premier League returns after the international break.

The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw by North London rivals Tottenham at the Emirates on Sunday after conceding a second-half penalty and now trail Premier League leaders Liverpool by two points.

And they’ll have two weeks to think about the disappointment because of the international break, before travelling to Old Trafford for another tough game at Manchester United.

But Wenger cautioned against overreacting and called on his players to focus on remaining consistent, with Arsenal unbeaten in 16 games since the opening day of the season.

“We are disappointed because we didn’t win but overall we are in a strong position,” Wenger told Arsenal’s official website. “It’s what we make of it now and how consistent we will be.

“We have been very consistent until now so, even if we are frustrated now, let’s try to transform that into positive energy when the Premier League restarts.”

After the game, Wenger questioned whether Tottenham should have been awarded a penalty when Mousa Dembele was tripped by Laurent Koscielny in the area just minutes into the second-half. But he also criticised his players for the way they defended in the lead-up to the incident.

“I’m disappointed with the way we let, first of all, Dembele run through. That’s not acceptable,” Wenger said.

Arsenal had taken the lead through an own goal by Kevin Wimmer in the first half but struggled to create clear-cut chances after Spurs’ equaliser. Wenger said his team played with “nervousness at the back” but acknowledged that it’s difficult to maintain their usual attacking fluency in an intense derby.

“It is certainly a price we pay to play in the derby,” he said. “Spurs defended well but we lacked a bit of creativity and technical quality in the final third to be a real danger.”