LONDON -- Arsene Wenger says his players have to distance themselves from the negative atmosphere at the Emirates as Arsenal face playing in front of more empty seats against West Brom on Thursday.
Arsenal were booed off the pitch after their 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace that all but ended their slim Premier League title hopes on Sunday, and plenty of seats around the Emirates were empty for that game as some season ticket holders stayed away.
About 2,500 season ticket holders have made their seats available to other club members for Thursday's game, with a few hundred tickets even put up for general sale by the club.
"Everybody is free to do what he wants with his season ticket, we have to live with that," Wenger said on his Wednesday at his pregame news conference. "It's a Thursday night, that's unusual. It's just [after] a disappointing result at home, maybe that plays a part as well. I don't know."
Wenger was on the receiving end of abuse from some fans after the Palace game, which was the latest let-down in a disappointing second half of the season.
Arsenal have drawn their last two games after taking the lead, allowing the gap to Leicester to grow to 13 points. Having been top of the league around Christmas, they are now facing a familiar fight for a top-four spot and look set to finish behind arch-rivals Tottenham for the first time in Wenger's 20-year reign.
An increasingly large section of Arsenal fans want Wenger to step down after this season, but the Frenchman hit back at renewed questions about his future and reiterated that he plans to see out the last year of his contract.
The fan anger could continue until the end of the season, even if Arsenal hold off Manchester City to finish third and guarantee Champions League football for yet another season.
"Maybe, but we have to take that with a distance as well and focus on our job. The emotional part in our game is always very high but it can change very quickly as well," Wenger said. "Judgement from people, we have to live with that. It's down to us to change that belief and their judgement."
Wenger acknowledged that the fan discontent had affected him, but insisted it should not affect the team's performances on the pitch.
"I want our fans to be happy. And of course when they are not, it affects me," Wenger said. "You do not want to play in a negative environment. And if we do, we can still perform.
"We are responsible for the performance of our team. It is true that at the moment it's not on a highlight. But we have to take a distance to that. And I hope in the next years Arsenal will always play in the top three, and hopefully people will not be disenchanted."