Arsene Wenger wants Arsenal fans to be more like Tottenham supporters

He called on the Gunners' divided fans to get behind the team and fight with them

Jack Austin
Friday 10 February 2017 03:24 EST
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Wenger has refused to rule Arsenal out of the title race despite being 12 points behind Chelsea
Wenger has refused to rule Arsenal out of the title race despite being 12 points behind Chelsea (Getty)

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Arsene Wenger has urged Arsenal fans to look how Tottenham fans behave and attempt to be more like them in the way they rally behind their side.

Arsenal’s fanbase is, more than usual, completely divided about the Frenchman and his team following a poor run of results which has seemingly ended their Premier League title challenge.

Back-to-back defeats against Watford and Chelsea saw on fan unfurl a banner reading “Enough is enough, time to go”.

However, Wenger has called on supporters to stick with the team, with a Champions League double header with Bayern Munich and an FA Cup fifth round tie with Sutton on the horizon, and used Spurs as an example as how everyone is in a fight together.

“We are in a fight, we absolutely have to be united or we have no chance to do it," he said.

“You have Tottenham, everyone is in the fight and everyone is behind their team. We have to do exactly the same, even if we had two disappointing results.

“Of course, our fans have been consistent and have a high level of expectation, as I have as well.

“But I don't feel it is absolutely clear. You cannot be a fan until last Tuesday and not be a fan anymore and not be behind the team this Saturday, it doesn't make sense.

There were banners calling for Wenger to leave during the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea
There were banners calling for Wenger to leave during the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea (Getty)

“All the other clubs, everywhere we fight with Man United, Man City, Liverpool they have big expectations as well and big histories.”

With the likes of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola all-but conceding their title race has been run, Wenger insists the Gunners are still in the mix, despite what he called a “difficult week”.

“It's been a difficult week,” Wenger added. “We are here to win football games so when we don't win football games we are very disappointed.

“But it's as well an interesting week because it's a good test at an important moment of the season and it's as well a good opportunity to show what we are made of and to deal with what matters to us - what is at stake and in front of us in the next game.

“We have a big fight in the Premier League, a big fight in the Champions League, with a big game coming up, and we still have the FA Cup as well.

“We want to do well in all three competitions and that's as well why it's important that we focus, respond and get our fans behind the team, because this is an important and very sensitive part of the season - and we have to respond to disappointment together.

“It's never over [the title race]. We cannot behave like that. Even if you think it is, I don't. We cannot even think like that.”

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