Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has ruled out signing a defensive midfielder before the transfer window shuts, saying he is happy with his options.
The club have been criticised by pundits and some fans for not buying another holding midfielder to support Francis Coquelin, who broke into the first team last season after being recalled from a loan spell with Championship side Charlton Athletic.
The only competition for Coquelin is captain Mikel Arteta, 33, who has recently returned from a calf injury after six months out, and the 31-year-old Frenchman Mathieu Flamini, who has one year left on his contract.
“Everybody has their opinion and everybody is entitled to have an opinion. I could prove to you that it’s not necessarily right,” Wenger was quoted as saying by the club’s website when asked about the need for more “powerful” midfielders by reporters.
“When you don’t win, you’re wrong and people always find reasons why. Are they the good reasons?
“I think I have enough experience and intelligence to know when it’s right and when it’s wrong,” added the club’s longest-serving manager.
Arsenal are still waiting for their first home win of the season after being held by Liverpool in Monday’s entertaining goalless draw following the opening-day 2-0 surprise defeat by West Ham United.
Read more: Christian Benteke shows against Arsenal he can be answer up front for Liverpool, writes Greg Lea
The hosts were unlucky not to take an early lead when Aaron Ramsey’s effort was ruled out for offside in the eighth minute, although Liverpool were equally unfortunate not be out of sight by half time.
New signing Petr Cech saved a Christian Benteke shot from point-blank range, while Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho struck the woodwork twice.
Wenger was disappointed that Ramsey’s goal was disallowed.
“It was a regular goal. It was a period of the game where we maybe had the most problems, defensively, but it’s a regular goal,” Wenger said.
“I can’t see why it was cancelled. It’s clear and on that front you cannot say that Liverpool can complain,” the Frenchman, 65, added.
Wenger also conceded that his club have not been up to scratch this season after collecting four points from their first three Premier League fixtures.
“We have started very average I must concede sharpness is missing a little bit in some players,” he said. “Our game is still not fluent enough in the final third.”
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