IAIN MACINTOSH: No-one else to blame but Wenger for Arsenal failings

Arsene Wenger sat awkwardly in front of the microphone, squeezing his fingers with frustration like a smoker on a long haul flight.

His voice remained steady, but the speed with which he delivered his answers to the assembled press pack gave away his mood. Usually, Wenger chews over the questions, relishing them, slowly constructing his responses. On Saturday, those responses were rapid-fire, instantly and tetchily shot back out into the auditorium.

“We had 11 internationals on the pitch at the start,” he snarled to one inquisitor who had questioned his team selection. He didn’t. Neither Francis Coquelin nor Mikel Arteta have been capped at international level. Not that it really matters. The suggestion that Blackburn beat Arsenal because of Wenger’s weakened side is a distraction from the real issue.