Wenger refuses to blame keeper after Emirates defeat to Newcastle

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted that home form was becoming a problem for the Gunners after they were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle.

Andy Carroll's header on the stroke of half-time meant the Gunners suffered their second defeat in front of their home fans this season, which also brought an end to a three-match winning run in the Premier League.

"Our home form is a concern, because even against Birmingham and West Ham, they were struggling wins," Wenger said. "When we score the first goal we play all right, but when we concede it's difficult.

"It's a big disappointment for us today. We did not look sharp from the start, and we never found the sharpness we wanted. We couldn't find our second gear."

The Frenchman defended the performance of keeper Lukasz Fabianski, who was left stranded when he came out to claim Joey Barton's free-kick for the goal.

"It was not a technical mistake - it was a problem of timing. That's the impression I had from the outside," he said.

"I believe our two centre-backs handled their strikers very well.

They both had very good games, and I thought they were our best players today. Carroll is a handful, though."

 
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