Arsenal have become too easy to beat, says Michael Ballack

The pressure is building on the Gunners boss with his side now nine points behind Chelsea after their 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge yesterday.

Arsenal face Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday in a game they must win to retain any chance of securing their first Premier League title since 2004.

Wenger claimed after yesterday's defeat that his team deserved to win and said: "We were still a bit uncertain at the start of the game but when we went into it we were completely dominant."

He also believed his young Gunners were the victims of persistent fouling in midfield and even heaped some of the blame for losing on the Chelsea fans in the Matthew Harding stand who refused to give keeper Manuel Almunia the ball back as time ran out at the end of the match.

He added: "They make the foul at the right time when they are caught on the counter-attack, the little push with the shirt and it is not enough to get a yellow card. They have the tricks of a very experienced team and they do that very well."

But Ballack rejected the criticism of the Chelsea tactics and claimed that Arsenal's defeats by his side earlier in the season and Manchester United last week had given manager Carlo Ancelotti the perfect blueprint for beating the Gunners.

Ballack said: "If you look now, it appears to be a race between Man United and us. But four weeks ago, you could see how it was set up and it can go quick when teams lose points.

"We wanted to do our job. We knew the way Arsenal play. We could see it in our first game against them and against United — it is always the same style. If you play tactics like we did, you can beat them. Wenger says things like this always when he loses, to find an excuse. But football is not possession of the ball and playing a nice pass.

"Football is about winning games and that is what United showed when they played them and that is what we did.

"This season and the season before they showed they weren't able to win the League."

With 13 matches left in the Premier League this term, it would seem a first domestic trophy since 2005 is once more out of reach but Gael Clichy vowed Arsenal will not give up.

The left-back has urged his team-mates to invoke the spirit that hauled them back into the race when falling 11 points off the pace after being beaten by Chelsea in November.

He said: "It is even more complicated now to win the League but we have to keep fighting until the end.

"We have seen since the start of the season, everyone can drop points against anyone.

"Of course, it would have been better to win yesterday and against Manchester United but that is the way it is. We need to be more decisive and the best thing to do is to carry on fighting.

"It is not going to be easy but it is not finished. We were 11 points behind and came back so we have to hope they drop points and make sure we don't drop any more.

"The rule in sport is when you want to be the best, after every defeat you have to ask the right questions to yourself and the team. You have to go again and dig in.

"That is what we are going to start doing again in training because it is only with really hard work and a bit of luck that things can happen."