Wenger: Vermaelen feeling pressure

Manager Arsene Wenger believes Thomas Vermaelen could be feeling the weight of the Arsenal captaincy.

The Belgian international was given the armband after Robin van Persie was sold to Manchester United. However, the usually reliable centre-half has allowed a few errors to creep into his game - most notably last weekend at Old Trafford where a poor clearance went straight to the Dutch striker, who fired United into the lead after just three minutes.

Wenger admitted Vermaelen needed a morale boost. He said: "Physically Thomas is outstanding, but what has happened to him in recent weeks has affected his confidence. You put more pressure on yourself when you are the captain. You want to be the best player in the team."

Copyright (c) PA Sport 2012, All Rights Reserved.