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England: Pressure on Arsenal to improve stuttering league form [Sun Sep 18th, 2005]
London (Reuters) - Arsene Wenger knows his side cannot afford to lose against Everton if they are to stay in the hunt for the English Premier League title.
Arsenal have made a stuttering start to their campaign, winning their first two home games but losing at Chelsea and Middlesborough.
The loss of former captain Patrick Vieira to Juventus in the close-season appears to have taken its toll on a young Arsenal side, who lack his quality at the heart of the midfield.
To make matters worse, leading striker Thierry Henry has been ruled out for six weeks with a groin injury.
Arsenal are already playing catch-up to leaders Chelsea, who have maintained their impressive form from last season and have moved nine points clear of Wenger's team.
The Frenchman knows the title cannot be won in the opening month of the season, but accepts his side can lose any chance of winning it if they continue to drop points early on.
"We want to reduce the gap as much as we can," Wenger told reporters. "A club should not be too many points behind and it is very important that there is not a big gap between your position in the league and where you want to be.
DANGEROUS TERRITORY
"If you are in mid-table, then you are in dangerous territory and for us to close that gap as quickly as possible is vital.
"It's dangerous mentally, because you can look at the table and think: 'Ah, it's too far to make up'. It's important that your position is adjusted to your ambition.
"The pressure is high because we want to be at the top and not in the middle, and that is why it is a big game for us.
"We lost against Chelsea and Middlesborough, but they are games we could have won. While mathematically it is worrying, the way we played is not so worrying."
Wenger stands by his decision to sell Vieira and does not feel any extra pressure, despite the team's faltering start to the league season.
The Arsenal boss believes there is enough quality in his squad for the London club to challenge Chelsea for the title.
"There is more pressure on me because I am responsible for things," he added. "I make the decisions I make and I have to stand up for them, and I will completely do that.
"I didn't decide Thierry would be injured, I just decided that Patrick could go. I knew it was a bit of a gamble and that we could suffer in the short term, but I am confident that we have the needed quality.
"We are a young side with good young players, but there is still a lot of experience in our side. For us, the first thing we should do is to be consistent and win our own games, not worry about Chelsea."
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