By David Kent

PUBLISHED: 11:24 EST, 4 November 2012 | UPDATED: 11:41 EST, 4 November 2012

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams insists the club's failure to hold on to their best players has left them with no chance of winning the Barclays Premier League title.

The Gunners suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, a result which left them nine points behind the table-topping Red Devils.

United's first goal was scored by Robin van Persie, who left Arsenal in the summer after announcing he would not sign a new deal with the north London club.

Gone: Robin van Persie was the latest star player to leave Arsenal, as he left for Manchester United this summer

Gone: Robin van Persie was the latest star player to leave Arsenal, as he left for Manchester United this summer

Me too: Samir Nasri (right) also left for Manchester when he joined champions City last season

Me too: Samir Nasri (right) also left for Manchester when he joined champions City last season

His departure followed those of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy, and Adams told BBC Radio Five Live's Sportsweek programme: 'I never got anywhere near the last year of my contract.

'You don't let them go into their last year and run their contract down.

'It's about winning, and how do you win? You have the best players, and if you keep selling your best players you're not going to win.

Remember this? Tony Adams (right) and Arsene Wenger (left) lifted the Premiership trophy in 1998, the Frenchman's first full season in charge at Arsenal

Remember this? Tony Adams (right) and Arsene Wenger (left) lifted the Premiership trophy in 1998, the Frenchman's first full season in charge at Arsenal

'If you sell your best players you're not going to challenge for titles. You need to keep your best players and in recent years we've let them go a bit easy.'

Adams believes Champions League qualification via a top-four finish is the absolute best that Arsene Wenger's men can hope for.

'If Wenger gets them into the top four he's done brilliantly,' he added.

Both Nasri and Clichy joined Roberto Mancini's Manchester City and lifted the Premier League title last season.

Cesc Fabregas won the Copa Del Rey with Barcelona in his debut season, as the Catalan club missed out on  La Liga to Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid.

Damning: Adams says losing the likes of Cesc Fabregas (right) has taken its toll on Arsene Wenger's side

Damning: Adams says losing the likes of Cesc Fabregas (right) has taken its toll on Arsene Wenger's side

Following suit: Like Nasri, Gael Clichy (left) also left Arsenal for Manchester City

Following suit: Like Nasri, Gael Clichy (left) also left Arsenal for Manchester City

The comments below have not been moderated.

Carzola has filled Fabregas' role, Nasri was never missed as he only had a good half season, but RVP is a massive loss. I think we need a proven striker in January to even stay in the Champions League!

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Arsenal isn't a model football club. It's a model business. Where has my Arsenal gone?

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He's stating the obvious - only AW can't see it

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He's right, but they still play football that is good to watch, as a football fan i like to watch a good game. and they mostly do,nice to win the title but the game is more important,they call it SPORT.

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Nasri never won a trophy at Arsenal so try get your facts right @jas singh

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I said this even before Wenger started selling his star players 7 years ago. Arsene Wenger is the biggest liar in the world, one minute he said moving to the Emirates would allow us to compete with Real, Barca and United, another he was so amazingly quick to dismentle the Invincibles, which led to selling our best players each year and replacing them with unknown average players. But he still kept saying "we are trying to win the title", "judge me after the season is over"... for the past 7 years, until recently he finally admitted qualifying for ECL was more important than winning any demostic trophy, which has always been his only goal every season since 2006. WENGER OUT!!!!!!!!!

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We won so many trophies when RVP, Cesc and Nasri played together.

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He's right, but everyone knows that.

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