Arsenal manager Unai Emery has blamed his defence for the loss to Manchester City though he is confident the team will make the top four. Sergio Aguero scored his 14th City hat-trick as the champions beat Arsenal 3-1 to cut Liverpool’s Premier League lead to two points.
Aguero, who opened the scoring after just 46 seconds, netted all three from close range as City bounced back from their midweek defeat Newcastle with a convincing display at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal did pose some awkward questions after finding a quick equaliser through Laurent Koscielny, but two more from Aguero either side of the break put the result beyond doubt.
When asked if his side could still finish in the top four, Emery responded: “Yes. After losing 3-1, it’s not easy to say that, but I have confidence in the work, in the way and I know now, for example, that we need to be calm.” However, his assessment of the game was that City had simply been better than the Gunners, particularly after the break.
He said: “They showed their superiority over the 90 minutes. The first 45 minutes, we held well for the result and also defending together and counter-attacking, taking chances to be in the match. “But after 2-1, the second half, they showed their superiority. We couldn’t defend very well and didn’t have chances to get into the box, and I think the result is clear.”
Meanwhile, Former Arsenal defender Ray Parlour has claimed that current Gunners man Sead Kolasinac is not good enough to play at full-back. Kolasinac was not at his best during Arsenal’s 3-1 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup fourth round at The Emirates. He did win a penalty on Tuesday night which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tucked away as the Gunners beat Cardiff 2-1, but Parlour believes he is not up to scratch as a defender. “Kolasinac is playing like a left winger,” Parlour told Sky Sports.
“Whether he has been taught how to play at left-back, I don’t know. When he was bought from Germany, he was a very good wing-back. He had three centre-halves to cover him. “When he plays as a four, he has to be a bit more defensive minded.”