Wenger: we were only one game from title win

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger believes his side were “one game away” from being champions this season.

Mathematically, his side can still lift the title, but they would need to claim six points from their two remaining games and rely on the unlikely outcome of both Manchester United and Chelsea losing theirs.

The Gunners topped the table for six months of the campaign, but a controversial last-minute Birmingham penalty in the 2-2 draw in late February was followed by a miserable March which saw them surrender a healthy lead at the summit, dropping nine points out of a possible 15.

But in spite of that, the Frenchman insists his side would still have won a first Barclays Premier League title in four years had they held on to their lead against leaders United earlier this month.

Emmanuel Adebayor put them ahead at Old Trafford, but Alex Ferguson’s side hit back to win 2-1 courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty and Owen Hargreaves’ free-kick.

Wenger said: “I feel we were one game away in this championship. If we win at Old Trafford, we are champions.

“It’s just one game, and in that game we were 1-0 up and we had two or three chances to score the second goal, so you cannot say we had a bad season.

“We have 77 points and we have won championships with 78,” Wenger said.

His team never looked like needing to rely on any decisions on Monday night as they romped to a 6-2 victory over hapless Derby at Pride Park.

The gaping gulf in class was no better typified than in the shape of Adebayor, who scored a hat-trick in his 45-minute substitute appearance — making it two trebles against the relegated Rams this season.

That took his tally to an impressive 30 for the season — and Wenger insists the Togo international can get even better.

“There is more in the locker than what he is doing at the moment, but how much I don’t know,” Wenger added.

“If he repeats that year in, year out, that’s a mark of class.”

Time is running out for out-of-contract midfielder Mathieu Flamini to confirm whether he plans to sign a new deal.

The French midfielder, a reported Juventus target, has been given a deadline of the end of the month to give his answer, but Wenger revealed he is yet to receive it.

“I’m waiting for him to come back to me and tell me whether he’s going,” he added.