Arsenal Boss Arsene Wenger Happy With Attitude of Players Despite Loss Against FC Köln

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was pleased with his sides performance despite their defeat against FC Köln on Thursday, but admitted that his team lacked quality in the final third.

Wenger was pleased with the displays of his fringe players as they topped group H on Thursday night. 

His side were the more dominant of the two in the game, but lost due to a controversial penalty, which the Frenchman claims should never have been given. 

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"We had a lot of possession. We lost the game to one shot, basically. It was a very nice penalty that we have to take on board. 

"It was honestly not a penalty at all. We missed a little bit of the accuracy in our passing in the final third that is required to score more goals," he said after the game.

"We had plenty of dangerous situations but we always missed a little something to finish our chances. I must also say that Cologne defended with spirit, with commitment and overall the crowd was absolutely fantastic for them."

The Gunners boss was also critical of the pitch in Germany, which was not up to the standards of a team who play week in week out on one of the finest pitches in Europe. 

"I must say that the attitude was good. It took us some time to inject some pace into the game. In the second half, it was much quicker. 

"The pitch was a little handicapped tonight, and the players were because of it, but I cannot fault the preparation or the concentration of the players."

When asked about how it felt topping the group, Wenger was coy and spoke about the unknown future of who his side will face in the next round of the competition. 

"I don’t know. I will tell you after the draw. You feel you have done the job to finish top of the group. We now play our final game at home against BATE Borisov without much at stake, other than the fact that we want to win the game. What does it really mean? I don’t know. It’s what we wanted," he added.

Arsenal could face the likes of Marseille and Lyon if the tables remain the same after match day six. As for the Premier League, the Gunners face a tough test away at high flying Burnley this weekend, a team that has the same points tally as the North Londoners.