Goalkeeper Petr Cech Struggles to Explain 'Difficult' Arsenal Away Form

Petr Cech has admitted that he and his Arsenal teammates have made mistakes away from home that they would never do at the Emirates this season, after the Gunners woeful away record in 2018 continued with defeat to Newcastle.

The 2-1 loss at St. James' Park on Sunday means Arsenal are now the only Premier League side yet to pick up a single point in the calendar year of 2018, while Arsene Wenger's team have registered just three away wins all season.

Addressing the latest defeat at Newcastle, Cech admitted it's hard to understand just why the Gunners have suffered so much on the road in 2017/18.

“It is very difficult to explain why because until last season we were one of the best teams in terms of the away record but somehow it has completely reversed this season and we don’t seem to find the answer for it," he said.

“When you commit so many team mistakes, away or home, you get punished and Sunday proved that.

“Of course, you try to address that but clearly the same things are happening. We don’t do these mistakes — the team mistakes — when we play at home. Unfortunately, it has affected our results.

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“Having gone 1-0 up, we were pretty much in control.

“The continuation of errors for the second goal kind of sums up our season. It devalues the good things we have done with errors.”

With Arsenal's Premier League season now a write-off, Wenger and his players will be putting all their efforts into winning the Europa League - which will also secure the club qualification for next season's Champions League.

Arsenal face a difficult semi-final tie with Atletico Madrid for the chance to reach the final in Lyon on May 16, and club legend Thierry Henry has urged his former team not to take their remaining Premier League games lightly in an attempt to be fresher for Europe.

“If they go out to Atletico Madrid, suddenly you’re fighting with Burnley," he said. "You need to think carefully about how you are going to play those last few games.”