Homesick Gunners slip 11 points off the pace

IT HAS been scarcely three months since Herbert Chapman’s bust was lifted off its pedestal in Highbury’s marble halls and shunted 500 yards down the Holloway Road, but already Arsenal are beginning to cast affectionate glances back towards their old home.

Moving is always a traumatic experience, especially in north London’s extortionate property market, but Arsenal’s failure to settle in their sparkling new Emirates Stadium is threatening to derail their season before it has even properly begun. This was another tepid, purposeless performance and the cold reality for Arsene Wenger and his players this morning is that they trail the Premiership’s early-season pacesetters Manchester United by a mammoth 11 points. Defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday, and Wenger might be tempted to rule his side out of the title race before the leaves have started falling from the trees.

Arsenal’s board would be justified in seeking an explanation for their squad’s failure to make the Emirates a home from home, and they are unlikely to be satisfied with Wenger’s theory on Saturday that the club’s PA announcer was partly to blame. The Frenchman was peeved at the latter’s insistence on reading out long, convoluted transport updates and encouraging fans to remain in the stadium to watch Arsenal TV while his side were desperately scrabbling around for a winner in the game’s closing stages. “I was very annoyed,” he said. “I think he has to respect people because it was very disturbing.”