• Premier League

Cazorla at a loss to explain 'inconsistent' displays

ESPN staff
December 2, 2012
Arsenal were beaten on Saturday against Swansea © PA Photos
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Arsenal midfielder Santi Cazorla has admitted that the side are "inconsistent" and have allowed Manchester United and Manchester City to create a "significant gap" from them in the Premier League.

The Gunners dropped to 10th in the table following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Swansea City, which saw Arsene Wenger's side thoroughly outplayed by Michael Laudrup's men - although both Michu's goals only arrived in the final few minutes.

And Cazorla, who moved to north London from Malaga in the summer, has acknowledged that the side have failed to perform on a regular basis so far this season.

"We don't know exactly what the problem is," Cazorla told the Mail on Sunday. "It's true that we're inconsistent. I believe that to challenge for the Premier League, those games can't get away from us.

"Take the Fulham game, we were 2-0 up. You can't then be drawing within five minutes. Those points aren't coming back.

"And the other day against Aston Villa, there's a game which I believe we really had the desire to win, because these are points that we can't let get away.

"Then you see City, United winning on those days. That's the difference. To fight for the title, it's about taking points from those teams."

Cazorla believes the quality is within the squad to challenge for the title, but is acutely aware that they cannot let many more points slip away if they are to climb back into the Champions League places.

"It's a little bit frustrating. We're a good team, good players, training well," he said. "But there are moments in those games when we don't know how to control them.

"There's a significant gap between us and United and City. They've got away a bit. We have very little margin for error."

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