Santi Cazorla penalty: Arsenal Wenger says he 'didn't know what happened' but refuses to blame midfielder for loss

The Spanish slipped up to miss crucial spot-kick in the 84th minute in 2-1 defeat by West Brom

Santi Cazorla slips up while taking the penalty against West Brom (Getty Images)

Arsene Wenger has refused to blame Santi Cazorla for Arsenal's 2-1 defeat by West Brom on Saturday.

The Spanish midfielder slipped up to miss the crucial 84th minute spot-kick.

"I have seen a few penalties, but I don't really know what happened," Wenger said after the game.

"You can talk to him and he is so disappointed. But it is difficult to blame Cazorla for that.

"It is a big blow for us. If the game reflects the result then okay, but when you drop points when you have come out of a game and think you have not done the maximum to produce you cannot be happy.

"We have to take it on the chin and bounce back in our next game.

Wenger labelled the defeat to the Baggies a "nightmare" as they missed the chance to go top.

The Gunners went down The Hawthorns to lie behind Leicester, Manchester United and Manchester City in the Premier League.

James Morrison's volley and a Mikel Arteta own goal gave the hosts - who only managed one shot on target - victory after Olivier Giroud opened the scoring.

Wenger said: "It was a very bad afternoon for us. We had 70 per cent possession, we scored an own goal, we missed a penalty, we gave away a goal from a set-piece, that is perfect to make the afternoon a nightmare.

"We missed open-goal chances. I believe West Brom did fight with 100 per cent commitment as well and you have to give them credit for that.

"At 1-0 we had just to make sure they did not come back with an easy goal and that's where we were guilty, because apart from that I cannot fault the team who gave what they could until the last minute. We produced enough to win the game."

The French national anthem La Marseillaise was played before the game in tribute to the victims of the Paris terrorist attacks last week and Wenger believes his French players, Giroud and Laurent Koscielny, were focused.

He said: "Once you are in the competition you are in the competition to be professional. How much did it affect them? I don't know, I can only speak for myself.

"When you are on the pitch, you are on the pitch. I would not explain our defeat by that."