Arsene Wenger

In an interview with the media after Arsenal 1-2 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday, Arsène Wenger blames it all on ill-luck and some questionable refereeing, especially with the second card that sent off striker Olivier Giroud.

on the result…
It’s difficult because we had a lot of the ball and we had early chances. We were a bit unlucky tonight. I believe the first goal was offside and then afterwards the sending off was very harsh. We have to look at ourselves as well because the second goal killed our game. We are good enough to defend corners like that well. Apart from that we had a lot of the ball when it was 10 against 11. They were committed, they defended well and sometimes I felt that they stopped us from gaining an advantage without being punished by the referee, especially on counter-attacks where we had to play 10 against 11 in one half. We were not at our best but neither was the referee tonight.

on Olivier Giroud’s sending off…
The first yellow card was Giroud’s fault because he protested, even if there was no foul against him. After that he should have not protested to the referee. His second yellow card was completely unlucky to touch the guy. I do not understand the referee.

on whether Giroud should have been more careful…
I don’t think he saw the guy. It was completely accidental. It happened and I think at that moment it was not a second yellow. It has to be a foul on purpose and it was not on purpose. The referee should have given several yellows tonight based on that.

Giroud: red carded

on the Champions League…
Mathematically we can qualify without any problem if we can produce our performances that we want at home. We have had problems starting in every competition this season. We were slow starting the Premier League and now the Champions League. I’m confident that we can put that right in the next five games.
on three English clubs losing…
It’s too early. It’s the first game. Let’s see where we stand after six games. It’s too early to get any conclusion. Tonight was a special circumstance. We had a lot of the ball, Zagreb gave absolutely everything and once we went 2-0 down it was a very difficult game with 10 against 11. Let’s see where we stand after six games. Then we can draw conclusions.

Giroud walks out, after the red card

on making changes to the side…
You know that when you don’t win the game you have to look at yourself and think, ‘I didn’t get it right’. I personally don’t believe that the players who came in had a bad game. It just didn’t work. We know we have to do that again. We were maybe a bit unlucky and maybe lacked cohesion or some competition in some situations. I have to analyse that. It’s very difficult to give you a definite answer straight after the game.

on David Ospina…
Ospina is a very, very good goalkeeper and he has shown that again tonight. Cech has not played a full season so I am trying to give him some rest mentally because for goalkeepers it’s the same as outfield players.