Premier League: Arsene Wenger says 'nearly impossible' for Arsenal to finish in top-four after Brighton loss

Brighton: Arsene Wenger admitted a top-four finish for Arsenal was now “nearly impossible” after the Gunners woes deepened following the 2-1 loss away to Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday. Their fourth successive loss in all competitions fanned the flames of an already-intense debate surrounding the future of Arsenal manager Wenger, amid reports of players’ meetings and of a weakening in boardroom support for the Frenchman, who has reigned largely unchallenged since taking over at the north London club back in 1996. [caption id=“attachment_4376451” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. AP[/caption] Arsenal’s eighth loss since the turn of the year left them 13 points adrift of the fourth place that will secure automatic qualification for next season’s elite and lucrative Champions League. “It is very difficult, nearly impossible now, we are too far behind,” Wenger told the BBC when asked about Arsenal’s top-four prospects. “We need two teams to collapse, not one. But at the moment we have different worries in how to come back to win a game,” he added following a match that saw Brighton move seven points clear of the bottom three. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech tried to ease the pressure on Wenger by saying he was responsible for both of Brighton’s goals scored by Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray in a first half where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back for Arsenal shortly before the break. “If you want to win a game away from home in the best league in the world your GK (goalkeeper) can’t concede 2 goals like I did today,” former Chelsea favourite Cech tweeted. “It’s simply not possible … The team fought back but the damage was done.” Dunk’s goal triggered the first chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” directed at Wenger from the home supporters but alarmingly for the manager, prompted little response from his side.