Wednesday 1 February 2017 10:01, UK
Arsenal were punished for a slow start against Watford on Tuesday night and after their 2-1 defeat boss Arsene Wenger was critical of his side's attitude at the beginning of the game.
The Gunners were 2-0 down within 13 minutes at the Emirates and were unable to comeback from the early setbacks, leaving their Premier League title chances hanging by a thread.
"We missed our first half," Wenger told Sky Sports afterwards. "On the mental front, we were not ready for the challenges. We were dominated in too many duels.
"We paid for it because we just didn't start sharp enough. It happens sometimes and you are not punished but we today were punished."
We missed our first half. On the mental front, we were not ready for the challenges.
Poor starts have become a feature of Arsenal's performances in January. They conceded two quick goals before battling back for a 3-3 draw at Bournemouth and had to respond to a seventh-minute opener from Preston in their third-round FA Cup tie.
So what's wrong? Could Arsenal's warm-up be to blame? Hit play on the video at the top of the article to watch the Gunners prepare for their match with Watford and then share your thoughts on the message boards or via @SkyFootball.
