Arsene Wenger press conference FULL TRANSCRIPT: Arsenal boss explains 'shocking' Liverpool defeat but spends just 130 seconds with the media
- Arsene Wenger's Arsenal lost 4-0 at Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday
- The Arsenal boss spent just 130 seconds with the media after the game
- Wenger discussed reasons for the loss and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's future
Arsene Wenger was ashen-faced as he entered Anfield’s media auditorium and tried to explain the events of the previous 90 minutes.
Arsenal’s manager has seen his side lose heavily at Liverpool before but the manner in which they crumbled on Sunday afternoon clearly took him by surprise. He was economical with his words and only spent 130 seconds taking questions from the media.
He said enough in that time, however, to let it be known he felt the standards that led to them being beaten 4-0 were unacceptable for Arsenal.
Here Sportsmail brings you’re a transcript of his brisk press conference.
Arsene Wenger's Gunners lost 4-0 away at Liverpool on Sunday afternoon
REPORTER: Arsene, can you begin to explain what went wrong there?
WENGER: Erm… Everything. I think from the first to the last minute, we were not at the level requested for such a game. Not physically, not technically, not mentally… we were not at the level and we were punished. And that is basically it. It was a tough day. Of course you can analyse the chances we gave away but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level.
REPORTER: Why?
WENGER: That is a question that’s… that’s very difficult to answer straightaway after the game. And there are some reasons but I don’t think I have too much to comment on that now.
REPORTER: You said last season that a lot of the problems were down to the uncertainty over your future. Now that has been resolved can you look at other factors?
WENGER: But last season I said that after 30 games. Now we have played three games. We have played one home game and two away games. I believe in our first two games we looked quite good. Our performances were good. But today the performance was not acceptable at that level.
After the match Wenger spent just 130 seconds in his post-match press conference
REPORTER: During your time at Arsenal, Arsene, have you ever been beaten so comprehensively before like that?
WENGER: (long pause followed by a rueful laugh) My memory is not big enough. It is true that today that we were an easy opponent for Liverpool.
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS (gets up out of his chair): Thank you
WENGER (gets up out of his chair and begins to walk away): ‘Thank you.’
REPORTER: Arsene, can we just clarify one thing, sorry. Will Oxlade-Chamberlain be allowed to leave this week?
WENGER: That is the kind of question I cannot answer after a game like that. I think we are focused on the game. We will be focused on the transfer marker in the next three of four days. What will happen, I don’t know.
REPORTER: And Mustafi?
WENGER: Similar question, similar answer.
Wenger was asked what went wrong and about the future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
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