Published: 19 January, 2012
by STEVE BARNETT

ARSENE Wenger is demanding his players “wake up and focus” ahead of Sunday’s visit by Manchester United.

The Arsenal manager saw his side suffer their second successive league defeat on Sunday when Swansea came from a goal down to win 3-2 at the Liberty Stadium.

The Frenchman knows only too well that such results are unacceptable if the Gunners are to finish in the top four, and has made it clear he wants to see an improvement against the champions.

“That’s now twice – at Swansea and at Fulham –- where we have given the game away,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.

“At our level that is frustrating and not good enough.

“It’s down to a lack of composure and the right decision-making.

It is alarming… at Fulham we were 1-0 up and we lost the game.

“Then against Swansea we came back to 2-2 and straight away we gave the third goal away.

It is really a concern.

“It is a massive opportunity on Sunday because you feel we have given six points away in the last two games in a way that is unbelievable. It is time for us to wake up and be focused – we have a good opportunity to do that against Manchester United.”

The Arsenal players will need little motivation ahead of the big clash as they look to claw back some pride following the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford at the end of August.

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is convinced that the Gunners will still secure a Champions League place this season.

“We don’t deserve to be outside the top four,” he said.

“We should be challenging for trophies every year and I believe the results will pick up and we will at least finish in the top four because we have the quality in the squad to succeed.”