Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says that while his team are still in the Premier League title race, only Chelsea can lose it, and insists Jose Mourinho's attempts to dismiss his team's chances are because he is scared to fail.
The Gunners face Liverpool in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday looking to make amends for their 5-1 thrashing against the same team at Anfield in the league last week, and are now one point behind leaders Jose Mourinho's side in the division. Manchester City sit two points behind Arsenal, but have a game in hand.
Both Mourinho and City manager Manuel Pellegrini, though, have attempted to distance themselves from the idea they are the favourites to win the title this season, and Wenger had a swift response to their cautious attitude.
"It is fear to fail," Wenger said in his press briefing today. "The title race is very open, only Chelsea can lose it now because they are in front."
Wenger maintains his only focus will be on making sure Arsenal can finish above their rivals come May.
"If you're not in the race you cannot lose it, if you declare yourself not in the race you cannot lose it, simple as that," he said.
"I think just that our job is to be ambitious and to try to win, if we do not win to take full responsibility for that. That's as simple as that and that's how I see it.
"I say yes we are in it, yes we will have a go for it, we will absolutely give everything to go for it and if we don't do I will take responsibility for it, but I just see it like that."
Wenger added: "We live in a league and in a country where we have one advantage - everybody can think what he wants, [but] it is very difficult when you're first in the league to distract people."
On the Champions League front, Arsenal face the daunting prospect of Bayern Munich in the first-leg of the first knockout round on Wednesday.
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