Van Gaal reacts to defeat at the Emirates

"When you give a team like Arsenal so much space to play football then you know you will lose.

“There was a lack of ball-winning.

"They were not slow, but they were not aggressive.

"Players like [Michael] Carrick and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger have a fantastic positional sense. But you need aggression and winning the second ball. And you have to do it not only with the two in midfield but also as a team.”

Frenchman Wenger believes man-of-the-match Theo Walcott, who set up two of the goals, made a huge statement in his bid to become the club’s central striker.

He said: “I was always convinced. When a guy plays well it’s difficult to find people who are not convinced.”