Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has admited Robin van Persie will be hard to replace. Photo Dave Thompson/PA wire

Arsene Wenger hailed Santi Cazorla

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has accepted that Arsenal lacked a cutting edge when they started life after Robin van Persie with a frustrating goalless draw against Sunderland at Emirates Stadium.

New boys Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla or Olivier Giroud could find the target with the Frenchman missing the best opportunity.

“We played with a good spirit, were serious and we put the effort in, but we lack sharpness and fluency at the moment to be dangerous in the final third,” said Wenger.

“The few chances we had, we could not convert them.

“Sunderland defended very well for the whole game, and we lacked something - sharpness, also quality and accuracy in the final pass.

“The formula didn’t work with three strikers up front and we were not well balanced, we did not create enough because they blocked our midfield.”

Wenger also singled out Cazorla for special praise after his promising debut.

“It is difficult not to be pleased with him because he played on Wednesday night, the whole [international] game in Puerto Rico,” he added.

“All the chances were created by him, basically.”