ARSENE WENGER was involved in an angry tunnel bust-up with Ronald Koeman after blaming "poor finishing" for putting another dent in Arsenal's title hopes.
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| Arsene Wenger and Ronald Koeman had an angry tunnel bust-up |
The Gunners boss was furious after a goalless draw left his side with just three points from a possible 12 and he confronted referee Lee Mason and blamed him for making a series of bad calls during the stalemate.
Witnesses heard Wenger say: "It's always the same with you," before rival manager Koeman weighed into the argument by facing up to his opposite number and claiming: "No, it's always the same with you."
The Dutchman's mood would not have been helped after he had seen Wenger complaining to officials on the touchline throughout Arsenal's defeat at Southampton on Boxing Day.
Although the smile was back on his face when asked about the display from his goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
"Not one team in one and a half years managing Southampton create what Arsenal created," he said.
"Normally it is more difficult for opponents to create those chances against us. We didn't create well - we fight and showed unbelievable spirit but it was not good enough.
"You need to be lucky and have a goalkeeper saving everything. We needed a goalkeeper who was magic - and he was magic tonight. It is a dream for Southampton.
"He was nine months out and maybe we had to force a little bit his coming back. He is one of the best in the Premier League - and maybe one of the best in Europe."
Forster's most impressive trick appears to have been making Arsenal's title hopes completely disappear.
That said, while the England international's spell-binding display kept Arsenal at bay for 90 minutes plus six more of injury time, it is now five hours in total since the Gunners last scored a Premier League goal.
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| Fraser Forster was in stunning form for Southampton |
So on a night when five of the top six in the table were victorious, the north London side's failure to win for the fourth time in a row stuck out like a sore thumb.
True, it was mainly down to the thumb, fingers, feet and body of the England goalkeeper, who was in the way of most of the 10 shots on target Arsenal rained on his goal.
But with Leicester now five points in front of them, New Year's Day leaders Arsenal now lie worryingly in fourth place with only another five points separating them from newly-rampant Manchester United in fifth.
Wenger acknowledged the performance of Forster, but on a night when Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny all had gilt-edged chances, he admitted his players only had themselves to blame.
"It is frustrating because we had a good performance especially in second half," he said.
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| Arsene Wenger watched his side drop five points behind leaders Arsenal |
"We created 10 goal chances but we came out with no goal.
"The performance we wanted was there, but we cannot be happy with finishing our chances. That is the most disappointing thing, some players missed chances that usually they take.
"Our finishing is very bad at the moment. We have not scored a goal in three games and we didn't take our chances. Our finishing was poor.
"Leicester won their game, now I am sure everyone will take them seriously and they will be under pressure.
"But we have to win our football game because you are dreaming if you think you will catch the others if you don't win your own game."
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