Lehmann: I'm to blame

Jens Lehmann today took the blame for Arsenal's disastrous start in the Champions League.

The German goalkeeper was furious with himself after last night's 3-0 defeat to Internazionale at Highbury and promised to makeup for his under- par performance at Manchester United on Sunday.

Arsenal's poor all-round defensive display will have given Arsene Wenger cause for concern as they slumped to one of their worst reverses in European competition.

But Lehmann, a £1.5million summer buy from Borussia Dortmund, knows he has a lot to live up to as David Seaman's successor and blamed himself.

He said: "I know it is down to the team to defend but it is my job to keep out the goals. I am very disappointed and know I can perform better than that. Therefore I will have to work a bit more.

"But it is good to have another game a few days after a defeat like that and I am looking forward to playing at United." Lehmann has high standards and may have been unhappy that Julio Ricardo Cruz was able to lift the ball over him as he came out for the first goal.

The 33-year-old could also be criticised for not doing better with Inter's second, when he only managed to push Andy van der Meyde's volley into the net at the foot of the post. But Lehmann would have done well to prevent the third goal from Obafemi Martins.

Van der Meyde claimed their clinical finishing and great defending should get the credit.

He said: "We were so dominant and in attack we got three chances and three goals. At the back we had a line which nobody could cross.