Worried Wenger in need of answers

GAEL CLICHY ended the afternoon in much the same state as Arsenal: a bloody mess. The French defender, nursing an ugly gash on the crown of his head courtesy of Mido’s raised boot, needed stitches to repair that wound, his team’s title hopes are in need of rather more intensive care.

Arsenal’s grip on the Premier League summit has finally been loosened and if the title is to return to London this season, it is more likely to be heading west than north. By the time they return to action, at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Manchester United could enjoy a six-point advantage and Chelsea might have drawn level. That heady night in Milan, rather than reinvigorating Arsenal’s season, could just have papered over some alarming cracks.

The only thing flatter on Saturday than Arsenal was their manager.