Arsenal: Arsene Wenger concedes he should have signed a new contract earlier

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that him signing a contract after the season ended last season was in hindsight a mistake as it created a sense of uncertainty among players and fans alike which contributed to their mid season slump and led them to drop out of a top four spot.

The Gunners ended the season in the fifth spot, with 75 points, a point behind Liverpool and three behind Manchester City but went out with a flourish by winning the FA Cup, beating Chelsea in the finals. Wenger believes that their inability to win the title over the years has been down to their inability to get off to a good start. Wenger also added that their bad form was in no way linked to the amount of criticism directed at them.

Last year they took only a single point from their first two games against Liverpool and Leicester City, with a host of players unavailable due to their involvement in the Euros. Next season will be equally trying, with the Gunners travelling to arch nemesis Stoke City, Liverpool and Chelsea in the first few games and their recent record suggest that they are more likely to fall short that come out with the goods.

The north London club have made some good business thus far this window, signing Sead Kolasinac on a free from Schalke and record signing Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon.

"I won't tell you when I decided finally to sign because I don't even know personally. My conviction and desire (to stay) was always there but I wanted to give myself some time (to think). In fact, I think it was a mistake because it raised some uncertainty. It raised some opinions against and overall it was a difficult moment but I was focused on my job," said Wenger, as quoted my Mirror.

"There were some hard moments last season but the hard moments were more linked with lost games than with opinions and criticism. The last four years we've had difficult starts and it's important for us to have a good start even though we have a difficult programme when we kick off," he added.