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Arsenal 4 Watford 0: 'Realistic' Arsene Wenger refuses to talk up Gunners' Premier League title chances

'We have to focus on our results and then see how far we can go,' he said

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Sunday 03 April 2016 22:56 BST

Alex Iwobi celebrates his goal for Arsenal against Watford (2016 Getty Images)

Arsene Wenger has always been an optimist but even he would not talk up Arsenal’s title chances on Saturday night. Arsenal had just produced their best performance in months, beating Watford 4-0, closing the gap on Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

It should have been a cause for celebration at the Emirates, but Wenger sounded like a man trying to put a limit on the ambition and hope of his players and fans. When asked about Leicester City, the pressure they face, and whether they might slip, Wenger would not be drawn on it.

“We have to be realistic and just prepare for the next game and not dream too much,” he said. “We have suffered recently and that will help us to keep the focus.”

Arsenal are chasing the two teams ahead of them and yet Wenger is just as preoccupied with the teams behind him. “We have to focus on our results and then see how far we can go,” he said. “When I say be realistic, we have to look behind over our shoulders as well. Man City, Man United, West Ham are chasing as well. Let's look over our shoulders and as well chase if we can.”

Alexis Sanchez opens the scoring for Arsenal against Watford (Reuters)

It sounded slightly downbeat, at odds with the quality of Arsenal’s performance. Arsenal were even better than they were in their last game, a 2-0 win at Everton. But a sense of regret is understandable, given how Arsenal have rediscovered form only now Leicester have pulled away from them.

Wenger, certainly not for the first time, praised the application of his players. “I believe this team has the right mentality,” he said. “I have had many teams in my life and this team is top quality. When they play like this it shows that mentally they are pure.” If Arsenal’s mentality is that good, though, why did they not play like this when it mattered?

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Show all 24

1/24Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

David Ospina - 6 out of 10

With Petr Cech set to return to the side against West Ham next week another solid display from Ospina will have done enough to earn him Wenger’s trust – or even a move in the summer.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Hector Bellerin - 8 out of 10

An admittedly fortuitous goal capped off a very impressive display from Bellerin, who burst forward throughout to add another string to Arsenal’s bow. His partnership with Sanchez in particular shows real signs of promise.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Gabriel - 5 out of 10

Those calamitous moments Gabriel is capable of producing are getting no rarer with more regular starts. There were moments when his diving interventions were crucial but equally occasions when he slipped off and Watford nearly capitalised.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Laurent Koscielny - 7 out of 10

Composed throughout, he swept up in behind as Watford looked to unleash the pace of Ighalo and Amrabat. In particular he made a telling contribution when the former had left Gabriel on his backside.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Nacho Monreal - 7 out of 10

Throughout the 90 minutes Monreal did not put a foot wrong, keeping track of the modest threat provided by Amrabat whilst adding the Arsenal’s overloading of the left flank.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Mohamed Elneny - 7 out of 10

At half-time he had completed 63 of 64 passes, typical of a display that may not have been the most adventurous but was as reliable as Wenger could want from one of his deep-lying duo.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Francis Coquelin - 8 out of 10

At his best, as he was today, he is Arsenal’s one-man midfield. Ferocious in the tackle but also showed a real eye for a pass, setting his side on course for several dangerous attacks.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Alexis Sanchez - 8 out of 10

The direct, energetic and arrogant figure of last season was back at the Emirates for the first time in some while. His early goal only added to his sense of belief and soon he was driving at defences with relish.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Mesut Ozil - 7 out of 10

He may not have left his mark on the scoresheet or in the assist column but there was plenty to like from Ozil, who ghosted into space and kept the attack ticking as others stole the headlines.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Alex Iwobi - 9 out of 10

Another goal but that was just a mere moment in an outstanding display from the 19-year-old. His burgeoning understanding with Welbeck down the left offers real promise for Wenger over the years ahead.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Danny Welbeck - 7 out of 10

He may not quite have lived up to his manager’s comparisons with Aubameyang but he once more looked like the right man to lead the Arsenal line, providing the ideal blend of pace and power and showing great interplay with the three behind him.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Olivier Giroud - 6 out of 10

The game was over by the time he came off the bench and he had little opportunity to show what he could do.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Heurelho Gomes - 5 out of 10

Could do nothing about Sanchez’s opener, where he saved well before the rebound was converted, but must answer serious questions about missing Iwobi’s shot at a time when Watford were putting pressure on their hosts.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Allan Nyom - 5 out of 10

Could often find himself with three or four Arsenal players ganging up on him and would be entitled to berate his midfielders for the meagre support they offered him. One could be critical of how often Iwobi breezed past him but there was rarely much he could do.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Sebastian Prodl - 4 out of 10

All too often was dragged out of position when Welbeck and Iwobi interchanged along the left flank. His response, to go flying into tackles, only served to make matters worse for Watford.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Craig Cathcart - 6 out of 10

With Welbeck relentlessly targeting the struggling Prodl Arsenal’s attacks often passed Cathcart by, though when called upon he was always willing to throw himself in front of the ball.

2016 The Arsenal Football Club Plc

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Nathan Ake - 5 out of 10

Looked very ordinary against Bellerin and Sanchez, who outjumped him for Arsenal’s opener. With the injured Capoue offering little protection he was dragged around whilst offering little protection.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Ben Watson - 5 out of 10

A day typified by the moment when a tame Bellerin shot deflected off him and into the net. Certainly he was not short on effort but nothing quite went right for him.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Almen Abdi - 5 out of 10

Got stuck in on plenty of occasions but could do little to stem the tide of Arsenal attackers dribbling past him and his team-mates.

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Etienne Capoue - 6 out of 10

Started very brightly in the opening moments, remorselessly harrying Hector Bellerin, but seemed to pick up an injury and was struggling to keep up prior to his exit on 40 minutes.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Mario Suarez - 5 out of 10

Started very brightly in the opening moments, remorselessly harrying Hector Bellerin, but seemed to pick up an injury and was struggling to keep up prior to his exit on 40 minutes.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Troy Deeney - 6 out of 10

Gave as good as he got as Watford all too often had little choice but to punt the ball up to their captain. He gave his all to give Arsenal difficulties but largely in vain.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Odion Ighalo - 5 out of 10

Certainly not short of running but seriously starved of service in the game’s opening half. Bar one impressive touch to leave Gabriel on the deck he seriously struggled to make an impact and was off at half-time.

2016 Getty Images

Arsenal vs Watford player ratings

Ikechi Anya - 5 out of 10

Outpaced by Bellerin time and time again, there was also very little of any threat from the Scottish winger on the counter.

2016 Getty Images

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores was honest enough to question the mentality of his own players, after their fourth straight league defeat and the worst of the lot. The combination of reaching 37 points, and the FA Cup semi-final, has rather taken the wind out of Watford’s Premier League campaign.

“We are fighting against this thought [of being safe] every time,” Sanchez Flores said. “We are fighting maybe for one month and a half against these thoughts. It would be an amazing mistake to think everything is done.”

The prospect of an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley in three weeks’ time is also playing on the minds of everyone at the club, and understandably so.

“It is hard, it is like fighting against a phantom,” he explained. “It is something that is in the air, it’s here, it’s there, it’s up, it’s down. It’s a thought. It’s in embodied in the dressing room, embodied in the club. Not always player or staff, it’s workers inside Watford. It’s impossible every week to pass through the office and it’s all “tickets for the FA Cup, tickets for the FA Cup”. What happened? We play in the league tomorrow!”

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ospina; Bellerin, Gabriel, Koscielny, Monreal; Elneny, Coquelin; Sanchez (Campbell, 78), Ozil, Iwobi (Walcott, 73); Welbeck (Giroud, 68)

Watford (4-4-1-1): Gomes; Nyom, Prodl, Cathcart, Ake; Abdi (Guedioura, 68), Watson, Suarez, Capoue (Anya, 42); Deeney; Ighalo (Amrabat, 45)

MoM Iwobi

Match Rating: 7

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