Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal fans have been “brainwashed” by the constant negativity surrounding his team.
Wenger came under fire from large sections of the Emirates Stadium crowd following Arsenal’s 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa on the opening day of the season.
That barrage of abuse followed several incidents of barracking from angry fans last season as Arsenal’s trophy dr-ought stret-ched to eight years.
But Gun-ners boss Wenger, whose side have calmed the critics with successive victories over Fenerbahce and Fulham since that Villa loss, is convinced the occasionally poisonous atmosphere in north London is due to fans letting their emotions get the better of them after reading so many negative stories about the club. “It’s always excessive reactions,” Wenger said. “We lost one game since the beginning of March. That’s why it (the Villa loss) was a shock.
“It’s just like that at the moment. You (the media) have brainwashed a little bit the Emirates.”