Tired Arsenal lose their sheen
Bill Barclay
Considered invincible five days ago, Arsenal's players and their manager awoke tired and shocked on Wednesday after their second surprise defeat in succession.
Auxerre's 2-1 Champions League victory at Highbury on Tuesday followed Arsenal's defeat by the same score at Everton on Saturday, shattering the all-conquering reputation of Arsene Wenger's English Double winners.
Wenger attributed the Auxerre loss, which left Arsenal still needing a point to guarantee their progress to the second group stage of the Champions League, in part to the Everton defeat, Arsenal's first in 31 premier league games.
"At the start you could see we had not got over shock of Saturday," the Frenchman told reporters after a miserable 53rd birthday.
"They were physically sharp and we lack that at the moment. We paid for it at the start of the game."
Arsenal conceded two goals in the first 28 minutes against a slick Auxerre side and striker Thierry Henry, who set up their only reply scored by Nwankwo Kanu after 53 minutes, complained of fatigue.
"We are all tired," Henry told BBC radio. "If you look at the first half I wasn't even moving because I just couldn't. When you are tired we are all human, it does happens to you sometimes.
"What can you do? You have to try to go on the pitch and play, that's the way it is. It seems the people who do the schedule don't care."
TROUBLED SEAMAN
England goalkeeper David Seaman was once again pilloried by several tabloid newspapers on Wednesday, although the 39-year-old could do little about either of Auxerre's goals.
The first was a beautifully struck, curling effort by Olivier Kapo, the second an athletic finish by Senegal international Khalilou Fadiga.
After 16-year-old Wayne Rooney's wonder strike that gave Everton their win on Saturday and Slovakian Artim Sakiri's goal past Seaman direct from a corner in last Wednesday's Euro 2004 qualifier, Seaman must be wondering what has hit him.
Wengerwill stand by his ageing number one although the Frenchman, like England manager Sven Goran-Eriksson, will have to address the issue of finding a permanent successor in goal sooner rather than later.
The one bright spot on Tuesday was the encouraging 18-minute substitute appearance of French midfielder Robert Pires after his seven-month lay-off due to a serious knee injury.
Pires needs several matches to recover his match sharpness and the good news for him, if not his jaded team mates, is that he will have ample opportunity in the coming month.
By the time Arsenal play north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury on November 16 Arsenal will have played an exhausting nine games in 29 days.
