Arsenal have problems but I can fix it, says Wenger

LONDON – Languishing mid-table, outplayed by teams he would fully expect to beat and with fans loudly questioning his judgement, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger concedes his side have problems but is adamant he is the man to fix them.Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat in the Premier League by Swansea City was bad enough for some fans, but the more alarming issue was the Welsh side’s ability to dominate possession and create numerous chances in a manner akin to Wenger’s sides of old.Arsenal’s tepid display demonstrated how far the team has fallen since the heady days of 2004 when the ‘Invincibles’ went through the season unbeaten to win their 13th and last English title.That side, which featured Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Freddie Ljungberg, boasted pace and power, creativity and composure, all traits that have been lacking in recent weeks.Prior to the Swansea loss, Wenger had pointed to the fact that four of their six league games in December would be at home and that was reason to believe his side could build some momentum and close the gap on the leaders.However, Saturday’s defeat will have hit the confidence of his side, who were also outplayed by Fulham for long periods of their entertaining 3-3 home draw last month.Currently 10th in the Premier League after 15 games, five points behind arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur and 15 behind leaders Manchester United, Wenger knows he has his work cut out with high-flying West Bromwich Albion visiting on Saturday.“There’s a problem of course,” Wenger said. “What is important when you have a problem is to do something about it.“The second thing is the strength to do something about it, and I’m confident we have both. We have the strength and we will do something about it. Let’s not go overboard.

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Arsenal have problems but I can fix it, says Wenger