Arsenal humbled as noose tightens around Wenger

Gunners boss promises to make announcement on his future after 3-1 loss to WBA

WEST BROMWICH: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he has made a decision on his future and will make it public very soon.

Wenger revealed after seeing his side humbled 3-1 at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday that he has decided whether to stay with Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Fans rounded on the Frenchman at the Hawthorns with 'Wenger Out' banners, anti-Wenger songs and a plane overhead towing a banner calling for his departure.

That was followed by another plane with a pro-Wenger banner, but he still suffered the ignominy of travelling fans singing "you don't know what you're doing" near the end of the game.

Wenger has previously said he will make a decision on his future before the end of the campaign and it appears the news will break in the near future.

"I know what I will do in my future, so you will soon know, very soon," he said. "You will see. Today I do not necessarily worry about that, we are in a unique bad patch we never had in 20 years.

"We lose game after game at the moment and that for me is much more important than my future."

Wenger insisted he did not pay attention to events in the stands or in the air as he watched his side beaten by two goals from Craig Dawson and one from Hal Robson-Kanu.

Alexis Sanchez equalised for the Gunners but a fourth loss in five league games left Wenger's record of reaching the Champions League in every season of his reign in peril.

"I watch the game, I do not watch the stands during the game," said Wenger. "We have to live with that. You focus on your job, no matter what people think. We have a big fight, I agree with you and it could be very difficult now.

"Anyway we've no other way than fighting and doing it until the last game of the season and if it is not good enough we have to take the consequences and maybe one day if we don't do it, people will enjoy it again to be in there.

"In our job it is like when you have a problem with your engine you can always find many problems but is important to find the most important one.

"The most important one today was we had 77% of possession and didn't create many chances and we have to focus on that. Fans are a bit disappointed and I can completely understand."

Wenger revealed Sanchez had been substituted with an ankle injury, which will be assessed before the club decide whether to withdraw him from the Chile squad.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech was also forced off before half-time with a calf problem which will be assessed over the weekend.

West Brom have now won eight of their last 10 home league games and have matched last season's points tally of 43.

Albion manager Tony Pulis said: "We had a meeting on Monday with the players. Although we lost two games, we've got to keep our feet on the ground.

"We are what we are and they've done fantastically well to achieve the 40 points in the time that we've done it. Our output against Everton was as good as any output we've achieved this year.

"We know what we are, we know what we've got. We lack certain things. We could lose the next three games, we've still had a fantastic season.

"I understand, you raise the bar and if you don't reach that again you and the players are going to get criticism. For me, they've just been fantastic this year, irrespective of what happens."