Sunderland vs Arsenal: 'Let's finish season well and then see where we have not done enough,' says Arsene Wenger

The Gunners are set to have a trophyless campaign this season

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger takes training on Saturday (Getty)

Arsenal took the glass half-full approach to the empty seats at the Emirates on Thursday night, announcing 59,568 tickets had been sold. Sold maybe, but the season-ticket holders who stayed away explained the swathes of red around the stadium. The Gunners manager was lost for an answer to the absenteeism but said it is the home form not fans that has cost his side this term in the title race.

The Gunners, who may be pleased to be on the road when they face Sunderland on Sunday, have dropped 17 points at the Emirates this season. “We still have 63 points,” Wenger said following the win over West Brom on Thursday, “but have dropped many more. At home we have dropped points, we have only won 10 games at home and if you want to win the Championship you need to win between 13 and 15. We have lost three and we drawn four. On the road we have been good enough. It is quite funny if you look over the 20 years, on the road we have always been good enough – it is always at home where we have a disadvantage compared to the northern teams.”

However, the Arsenal manager refused to pin the blame on his players. “What frustrates me the most is that the players have fantastic mentality. You see that when you see them play football – they would not care like that or behave like that [unless they had the right mentality]. They are a fantastic team with a fantastic mentality but let’s finish well and see where we have not done enough.”

To do enough against Sunderland, Wenger is aware his side may have to eschew some of the pretty stuff they played against West Brom in favour of the hard yards that come with facing a team in the depths of a relegation fight. “They did very well at Norwich,” Wenger said, “but you would be naïve to think this game would have no intensity. It will have intensity and we have to prepare for that.”

Alexis Sanchez is now back to full fitness (Getty)

Alexis Sanchez is due to start against Sunderland on Sunday and has now scored five goals in his last four games after his pair on Thursday now that he has returned to full fitness after missing two months of the season. So does Wenger think they would be closer to Leicester City if the Chilean had been fit all season? “I don’t know,” he said, “I don’t want to put that down to one player. We have enough players and one more or less injured should not be enough for a good explanation.”

While Sanchez is in peak form again, Theo Walcott has disappeared from view at just the wrong time with the Euros looming. But Wenger said he had little option but to give others a chance at the moment. “You see the team against West Brom,” the Arsenal manager said. “You have the emergence of a guy like Alex Iwobi, the players that did not play: Cazorla, Arteta, Flamini, Wilshere, Chamberlain, Welbeck didn’t play, Campbell didn’t start. All these players will be frustrated.

“I think Theo has gone through a bad spell and has responded very well because he has said: ‘I will work harder and more’. Even when he comes on now he is motivated and focused. Let’s see how well he finishes the season now.”