'West Brom' Woe for Wenger

Arsène Wenger was so flummoxed by Arsenal's capitulation he could not remember the name of his tormentors, complaining, bizarrely, that his team yesterday 'gave too much room to West Brom', writes Amy Lawrence

Rarely has he looked so completely disarmed by defeat. On the eve of his 12th anniversary as Arsenal manager, he admitted it was 'very concerning to lose a game like this'. For all the praise his young players earn on a good day, the bottom line tells of two losses out of six Premier League matches so far this season. Wenger knows that is well short of what is required. 'The dressing room is very shocked and quiet,' he added.

Hull, understandably, were nothing of the sort, despite being 20-1 shots at the bookies beforehand. Phil Brown (pictured) was naturally thrilled, especially as his gamble in playing Geovanni in addition to the front two paid off so spectacularly. 'He is a magical player,' Brown said. 'Brazilians have the reputation for bending the ball and when he strikes, it has movement and dip on it. I was surprised and fortunate to get him at the football club. We bought in translators to explain how we do things. At Hull City you can't just have a day off, you have to train hard every day. He's getting to know the Hull City way.'

He may not have needed the translator at half-time. 'We have a drive, an endeavor and a belief that we can come to places and get a result. I was disappointed with our display in the first half when we came off at 0-0 because I wanted to win and thought we wasted a couple of opportunities. To say I was harsh at half time is an understatement.' Evidently, his words struck a chord. 'The team spirit and togetherness is one of the reasons we got here. We were not fazed at St James' Park and we were not fazed here. Three away games undefeated is not bad for everyone's whipping boys. It was a great day.'