Arsene Wenger said he couldn't understand why his side had lost the north London derby and that they paid the price for conceding goals when they were 'dominating' the match at White Hart Lane.
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Two goals in three first-half minutes condemned the Gunners to a damaging defeat that sees them slip seven points behind their bitter rivals in the race for Champions League places.
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"It was frustrating" said Wenger. "We put so much effort in and lost the game when we were on top of the game. At the moment we were 2-0 down we should have been 2-0 up.
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"We had a great attitude but came out with no points and we were not efficient in the zones where it mattered at the front and at the back.
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"They were only dangerous on the counter-attack. It was a strange game," added Wenger, who now knows his side have a mountain to climb to maintain their record of always qualifying for the Champions League for the past 16 seasons.
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"It will be a massive challenge," said Wenger. "I said before that we could not afford to drop points and I maintain that.
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"I still think it is possible [to finish in the top four], and we will fight for it, that is for sure."
It was a painful loss. The game was a chance for Arsenal to advance into top four in the EPL table. Now, the Gunners chance is slim.