Gooners goners for title, says Ljungberg

FREDDIE Ljungberg has admitted Arsenal’s title chances ‘do not look that great’ ahead of their “must-win” clash with Premiership leaders Chelsea at Highbury on Sunday.

However, the Sweden midfielder believes there are still some positives which can be taken out of the 1-0 defeat at Newcastle.

A fifth away defeat of the season has left the Gunners back down in sixth place, a daunting 17 points behind Jose Mourinho’s side and now five points adrift of second-placed Liverpool and also Manchester United.

“The whole time I have been here, we have been either first or second, so that is what I am aiming for - but of course it does not look that great at the moment,” Ljungberg said.

“But if we can take something with us from the way we played at Newcastle in the first half and keep on going, then I think we can get better.”

He said: “We can look ourselves in the mirror over the way we played football and the way we fight for each other and give the ball at the right time - that has not been the case lately. We had talked about that in the week and made that clear.

“In the first half, I think we showed that, we had good spirit and played good football. But when we get a sending off, we can’t play the same way. We changed it to play three in the middle, and then do not get any space on the wings.”

Facing the defending champions and runaway leaders may not be the ideal fixture in which you would be looking to bounce back, and Ljungberg accepted: “It is going to be a difficult game.”

However, the Swede declared: “But it is at Highbury and all games at Highbury are must-win.”

Arsene Wenger had hoped to be able to field England defender Ashley Cole against the Blues, the full-back having been out since the start of October with a fractured bone in his foot. His return, though, is now not likely to be until the new year, as with understudy Gael Clichy.