Arsene Wenger Comments on Arsenal's Loss to West Brom, Francis Coquelin, More

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the Gunners are “fighters” after their 2-1 loss against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, which saw the club drop out of the top spot of the Premier League standings.

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, he refused to blame his team's mental state for the result:

The Gunners took an early lead through Olivier Giroud but suffered a major setback when Francis Coquelin left the pitch with an injury. Mikel Arteta replaced the Frenchman but couldn't match his defensive tenacity, and the hosts took full advantage.

James Morrison equalised and Arteta put the ball in his own net minutes later to hand WBA the lead on a platter. In the second half, Arsenal had plenty of chances to grab at least a point at the Hawthorns, but Joel Campbell missed a sitter and Santi Cazorla failed to convert from the penalty spot.

Fans weren't happy, and Wenger was targeted quite heavily on social media. Gunners blogger Le Grove thought his inability to see the lack of depth behind Coquelin is staggering:

TV personality Piers Morgan highlighted another area where Arsenal seem to lack viable backup options:

Wenger clearly wasn't in the mood to talk to the press extensively after the match, and his press conference lasted just a few minutes. In that time, he managed to make the fans' day even worse by confirming Coquelin's injury is a severe one, via ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery:

The midfielder's injury couldn't come at a worse time, with two vital Champions League fixtures and the busy winter period on the schedule. If his injury is indeed as severe as Wenger fears, Arsenal could be in big trouble.

Arteta also left the pitch with an injury and Jack Wilshere wasn't fit to make the squad, leaving Mathieu Flamini as the only available holding midfielder. Flamini was fantastic in the Capital One Cup match against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season, but he hasn't looked nearly as impressive since.

Lost in all the talk about the injury concerns was West Brom's fantastic comeback, and Wenger rightly praised the Baggies for their mental fortitude:

Arsenal will host Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday, a must-win match to keep the team's chances of advancing to the knockout stages of the Champions League alive. Premier League matches against Norwich City and Sunderland are next, and while those are clashes the Gunners should always win when healthy and on form, the loss of Coquelin will have a big impact.

The Gunners will have to find a way to survive without the star midfielder and hope he can return in time for their trip to the Etihad to meet Manchester City on Monday, Dec. 21.

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