Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, spoke candidly after the latest Premier League match ended in a draw against Brentford.
Mikel Arteta, the "Gunners" manager, expressed frustration and regret after his team was pegged back to a 1-1 draw by Brentford in last night's Premier League match. He said it felt like losing 2 points and criticized Gabriel Martinelli's mistake near the end of the game.
Arteta said, "There were interesting moments in this game. We started without controlling or dominating the play as we wanted, but then we began to find our rhythm and created scoring chances."
"We began the second half excellently, scored a goal, and controlled the game, but then things became chaotic."
"As soon as you concede one or two free kicks, the ball goes into dangerous spaces and can lead to throw-ins, which become a nightmare. They can throw the ball from anywhere on the pitch. You end up in that kind of situation, and it's very difficult to handle."
"They are one of the best teams in league history regarding set pieces, and this year they've improved with long throw-ins. It's a real threat and hard to defend against."
"We conceded free kicks that we shouldn't have. We should have been calmer in managing those free kicks."
"We want to win, so it feels like we've dropped two points. They are very tough opponents, but we will keep fighting."
"We had a very important chance late in the game when Gabriel Martinelli faced the goalkeeper one-on-one but couldn't score."
"We have to keep doing our job. We have to come here like every other team, play our best in every game, and get some luck to secure three points each week."
As a result, Arsenal remain top of the table but now lead second-placed Manchester City by only 4 points, both having played 26 matches.