Arsene Wenger says criticism ‘is becoming a farce’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has branded continued speculation over his future as a "farce" as Arsenal's season continued to unravel with a 2-1 home defeat by Watford in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The Gunners' defeat was the first time they had lost in the competition in 37 months as second-half goals from Odion Ighalo and Adlene Guedioura put the Hornets in charge and a late Danny Welbeck consolation could not save Arsenal.

Wenger said: “We have come to the end of a very, very long run in the FA Cup, so it is very sad, but we want now to focus on the next game. The next game is always a big challenge and you are always in the middle of a drama. It is becoming a farce.

“What is going on at the moment is very, very difficult to take for the players, but judge us at the end of the season.

“We have lost a game. We are sad and we want to focus on the next game.

“Arsenal has lost games before in history and we will lose again in the future. We will stick together and cope with it and prepare for the next one with complete belief.

“Supporters stand behind the club and we want to fight until the end of the season for every single game.”

Wenger believes his side had enough chances to beat Watford.

He said: “We defended well, took our chances on the break. They were physically very strong and overall I think we had enough chances to win the game. It was difficult to understand why we didn’t score, I want to watch it again.

“It is a typical cup game where a team comes and fights and takes their chances with us trying to score.

“Our long, long run in the FA Cup comes to an end and it is in a very sad way because I did not think we deserved to lose this game.

“We have to look at ourselves maybe on the first goal. The second goal was a fantastic shot and I felt it was a real cup game.

“We do not make enough of our possession in the final third. Watford is a team who is good on the break and they depend on Ighalo and Deeney. The defence kept with them and overall we did not give many chances away.”

Arsenal defender Gabriel could have been sent off by referee Andre Marriner in the first half for a tackle on Watford captain Troy Deeney but the man in charge chose not to react and the Arsenal boss believes he made the right decision.

Wenger said: “It did not look to me that (Gabriel should have been sent off). He won the ball, it looked to me Deeney as well (had both feet off the ground). Both players went for the ball, Gabriel got there first, that is how it looked.

“Maybe if both feet were off the ground, I will have to look at it again.”

Watford had only 29 per cent of the possession at the Emirates and boss Quique Sanchez Flores agreed with Wenger about the Gabriel’s challenge on his captain.

He said: “No, for me it is football, it is England. This is the kind of contact we see each week, it is nothing special.”

The Hornets will find out who they face in the semi-final at Wembley when the draw is made on Monday night but Flores believes Watford have had a season to remember both in the competition and in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: “I think this is the most important moment of my career.

“We try to enjoy this moment, this journey, this team, we now get to play in the semi-final at Wembley.

“This season is an amazing season for Watford, the players play for the fans.

“For a long time we played well, trying to create attempts.

“For 80 minutes we were, not comfortable because we were playing Arsenal but we are in the plan. The last minutes were difficult but we mixed it well.”