Arsene Wenger Talks Arsenal Momentum After 2-2 Champions League Draw with PSG

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger conceded that his side has "lost a winning momentum" after Wednesday's evening's demoralising 2-2 draw against Paris Saint-Germain in the team's penultimate UEFA Champions League group-stage match.

The Gunners could have secured top spot in Group A with a win, but a 77th-minute own goal from Alex Iwobi meant the clubs shared the spoils, and Wenger admitted there's a price to pay, per the Telegraph's Jeremy Wilson:

"

We have not lost, but we have lost a winning momentum a little bit but we played against a good team. I believe I have to be careful on the choice of my words. I say 'stuttering' and it comes back at me. We have a special strength in the squad, a consistency in results. We are unbeaten in 18 games. Sometimes you go through spells when you win a bit less. But we have to continue without losing and transform draws into wins. There’s no reason to panic.

"

The draw left Arsenal tied with PSG on 11 points, although they sit second to the Ligue 1 giants on head-to-head away goals, having drawn 1-1 in Paris.

The Gunners need to avoid defeat to FC Basel in Switzerland in their final group game on December 6 while hoping their French rivals record an inferior result against third-place Ludogorets Razgrad on the same day if they're to steal first place.

The winter period can be tough for clubs in European competition, and Wednesday's result was Arsenal's third successive draw after 1-1 results against rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

That being said, Wenger was eager to instil belief in fans despite Arsenal's Champions League predicament, adding all is not lost as they head into their final fixture of the competition's pool phase:

"

We are second but it’s not over. We have a 90 per cent chance to finish second but we’ve not lost a game. Overall we’ve done the job well. Will we be lucky enough to finish first? The advantage if you finish first is to play the second game at home. We had a very strong start in the second half and were dominant, but then we dropped off.

"

The Frenchman is right in identifying his club's 18-match unbeaten run as impressive, although six of those games have been draws. That's not the kind of ratio one might expect of a club aiming for major silverware.

This wouldn't be the first time any kind of "November curse" has come to haunt Wenger and his players, although a demanding schedule is hardly any excuse for a club of Arsenal's stature:

Edinson Cavani converted a Blaise Matuidi cross to put PSG ahead after 18 minutes, only for Olivier Giroud to pull the hosts level on the brink of half-time. Marco Verratti's own goal gave the Gunners a 2-1 lead on the hour mark, though they couldn't see the game out.

PSG are in prime position to top Group A and thus gain a priority place in the Champions League round of 16, and Sam Elliott of the Non-League Football Paper was short on sympathy for Arsenal's plight:

It seems unlikely PSG manager Unai Emery will allow his side to drop points when they host Ludogorets, having already beaten the Bulgarians 3-1 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in September.

That being said, the Gunners have their hands full with a trip to St. Jakob-Park and will likely need to secure a maximum haul there before they can contemplate any last-minute overthrow.