Only home wins draw comfort for Wenger

ARSENE WENGER accepts draws could be fatal to Arsenal’s Barclays Premier League title aspirations.

The Gunners resume their Barclays Premier League title challenge at home to Everton tonight, aiming to keep within striking distance of leaders Manchester United, who are currently five points ahead.

Having lost six matches already, three at the Emirates Stadium, Wenger accepts there can be little room for further error.

“We know to have a chance to win the championship we have to win our home games,” Wenger said.

“If you look at Everton’s record it is something surprising because they lost only six games and we lost five.

“We are at the top of the table and they lost six and are at the bottom of the table. The difference is they made so many draws.

“They have not had bad results, but a draw in this league punishes you.”

Arsenal head into what could well be a defining period of their campaign without influential midfielder Samir Nasri, who is set to be sidelined for at least three weeks after suffering a hamstring problem in Sunday’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over Huddersfield.

The likes of Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere will all come back into the side tonight, and Wenger knows the need for a clean bill of health.

“You see now that to go for all the competitions, it is an important part of the season where you don’t want to lose your players,” the Arsenal manager said.

“I don’t like it when the muscle injuries kick in and hopefully we do not get more because that is not a good sign.”

Arsenal have a Wembley date with Birmingham in the Carling Cup final at the end of February.

While they remain fighting on all four fronts, Wenger accepts “history shows that it is extremely difficult” to sustain such progress.

However, the Gunners boss also accepts: “It is very difficult to say to my players ‘we do not go for this competition now’ because we are in there and it is difficult to choose.

“We are not at the stage where we have to make a choice, but we want to go for everything.”

For his part, Everton manager David Moyes believes Louis Saha can help push his side up the table now the French striker has rediscovered his scoring touch.

Saha, 32, made it three goals in four appearances when he netted the opener in Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round.

Moyes wants the Frenchman to kick on with against Arsenal tonight.

He said: “Goals change centre-forwards. If they get some goals it makes them look better and everything they do feels much better.

“Louis scored a lot of goals at the start of last season. Let’s hope he can score a lot of goals in the second half of this campaign.

“He is playing with a lot more confidence and belief, which goals give you as a centre-forward. I would like to think he can keep it going.”