Per Mertesacker, left, and Wojciech Szczesny celebrate Arsenal’s win over Liverpool (Picture: Action Images)

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have finally sorted out their defensive frailties but remains cautious about his team’s Premier League title credentials.

The Gunners, who last won the league in 2004, moved five points clear at the top of the table after an impressive 2-0 victory over in-form Liverpool.

Arsenal were at their free-flowing best as goals from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey proved enough for the points.

However, somewhat uncharacteristically, the north Londoners looked watertight at the back as the visitors’ in-form strike duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were shut out.


And Wenger, who appears to have settled on a first-choice back four of Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs, said: ‘Our defensive performance was outstanding.



‘We kept Daniel Sturridge, Luis Suarez, Steven Gerrard and then Philippe Coutinho quiet – and for that our defenders deserve a lot of credit.’

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Arsene Wenger was delighted his back four’s performance (Picture: Action Images)

Wenger continued: ‘It was vital to win, I said that before the game and I don’t change my mind, because had we not won people would say “yes, Arsenal at home they cannot win the big games”.

‘It is done, in a convincing way. We had a good solidarity, a good focus, and I believe we have plenty of other big games coming up and this will help us deal well with them.”

‘Tactically we dealt well with what Liverpool offered us today in the first half.

‘We stopped them from playing and overall we are defensively a better team.’

Midfielder Jack Wilshere missed yesterday’s victory with an ankle problem and Wenger revaled the England man remains a doubt for Wednesday’s crucial Champions League clash at Borussia Dortmund.

The Frenchman added: ’I don’t know if he’ll be available on Wednesday [against Dortmund]. We have to wait until Monday. It is not long term.’

Left-back Gibbs is also a doubt for the trip to Germany after picking up a knock and being substituted late in the match.

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