Wenger avoids future talk after Palace loss

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger avoided questions about his future after his side’s loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Wenger’s men collapsed to a 3-0 defeat at Selhurst Park on Monday in a huge blow to their chances of a top-four finish.

The Frenchman is under increasing pressure and is out of contract at season’s end, but he preferred not to talk about his future after Arsenal’s latest loss.

“Honestly, I am disappointed,” Wenger told a news conference.

“After such a long time, to see that we’ve lost a game the way we’ve lost it is of course very disappointing.

“I think it would be inconvenient to speak about me, it’s more painful to lose the game like the way we lost this one.”

Goals from Andros Townsend, Yohan Cabaye and Luka Milivojevic saw Palace to their surprisingly comfortable win.

#CPFCvAFC pic.twitter.com/6olC8CzhMB

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) April 10, 2017

Now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, Wenger admits his team are unlikely to secure a Champions League spot.

“It’s [going to be] very difficult,” he said.

Fan protests against Wenger have continued and the 67-year-old said he understood supporters’ frustrations.

“I want the fans to support the team. I think they are extremely disappointed and I can understand that because we all are,” he said.

“It is understandable that they are disappointed. We played with a desire to win the game tonight, with a very offensive team because we knew we had to score goals. We knew what we would face.

“Their keeper took their free-kicks on the halfway line, so it was important for us to win the ball in the air, win the second balls, get the ball down and then play our game.

“From the start onwards, in the decisive moments of the game, they were sharper.”