Arsene Wenger praises Arsenal's 'pivotal moment' in title chase

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has commended his side's performance Sunday, shrinking Leicester City's lead atop the Premier League table to two points, courtesy of Danny Welbeck's last-gasp winner.

Down 1-0 at the half with their title ambitions intact by the narrowest of threads, the Gunners fought back in the second half with goals from Theo Walcott and Welbeck to secure the three points in front of a euphoric Emirates Stadium.

"It was a pivotal moment today because the mathematics meant it could be eight points or it could be two points. That is a great change," Wenger told reporters after the match, according to BBC Sport.

Full credit to Wenger, who made three substitutions after the opening stanza that changed the complexion of the fixture. Among them was Welbeck, who made his first appearance for the Gunners this season after suffering a serious knee injury 10 months ago.

Welbeck's goal on the heels of Walcott's equaliser and a steady performance by halftime sub Calum Chambers make Wenger look like a genius, and for all the criticism of the Arsenal boss, he merits the praise.

Two points adrift of the East Midlands' darlings with 12 league matches to play, Arsenal's title ambitions have gotten a kick in the pants thanks to Sunday's victory.

"There's a long way to go, we play a lot of big teams," Wenger said. "But we had a bad spell where we couldn't win for four games and have now won two on the bounce. We have come out of that bad spell and still have a good chance."

Often maligned for its lack of resolve when faced with critical moments, Arsenal's steadfastness on Sunday coupled with its double over the Foxes signal an uncharacteristic shift for the north Londoners.

"It will strengthen our belief that we are in the fight," Wenger added. "We came back with relentless energy ... it came down to the mental desire of the team."