Mikel Arteta refused to blame fatigue and instead pointed the finger at a lack of concentration as Arsenal surrendered a one-goal half time advantage to draw with Southampton.
Playing the seventh game of a hectic October schedule, the Gunners looked leggy in the second half at Saint Mary’s after a very bright start.
Given the chances they created, Arteta said his side should have won before standards dropped.
“I think we stopped doing all the simple things right,” he told his post-game press conference.
“The distances on the ball positions were too far, we gave too many simple balls away in very dangerous areas without much pressure, and that didn’t allow us much continuity like we had in the first half.
“Then you are more tired because the game becomes more open and there are more transitions, and you are fatigued. I think again we finished the game on top of them and we tried to go for the second goal, but we didn’t find a way to do it.
Of the result, he added: “No complaints. This is football. We were really good in the first half and totally controlled the game. We created loads of big chances that we didn’t put away.
“In the Premier League, unfortunately, if you don’t do that when you are top of the game, you can have some difficulties.
“In the second half, we put ourselves in problems with the amount of giveaways that we had, especially with ball possession, and that didn’t allow us to control the game the way we wanted.”
Having spoken bullishly earlier in the week about his players needing to be prepared to play regularly and at a high standard, Arteta dismissed talk of a lack of squad depth.
“We have the same that we had a month ago, two days ago and the same as what we’re going to have next week. I don’t like to have any excuses.
“In the second half, we could have played much better, and we could have won much more comfortably than we did, and it’s completely down to us. I think the team looked really fresh at the start. I put it more down to the way we played. We should have played better in the second half.”
Arteta was also asked if striker Gabriel Jesus was disappointed to miss three favourable opportunities to seal the points.
“I’m sure today he will be disappointed because he had the chances to put them away,” he answered.
“Knowing Gabi, he’s disappointed when he scores two goals and could have scored three or four, so he can do that. But he has the chances, and he’s always there. He gives so much to the team, and it’s a shame he couldn’t put them away today.”
Ugh… disappointed, but we move! Up Gunners! COYG!
The scum just lost so I feel better 😂😂
Scum in classic “hold my beer” mode…
We are not in the same league with them. I am gutted we lost the four point lead on City. Our staying top till the break for World is crucial; and a win today would have all but guaranteed it. Now, we have to win all our remaining three games.
Not impossible though.
It’s not crucial but Man City go to Leicester this Saturday which could be a banana skin.
Erm…we didn’t actually lose, but I can relate.
He is right. The 2nd half was sub par. Let’s put in a stronger performance against Forest.
Agreed but let’s not skip pass PSV on Thursday.
players looked knackered, subs were abysmal (except for some early flourishes from KT); worst refereeing for ages but still we were not good and maybe some karma from previous matches (especially Leeds) caught up with us… the squad players are clearly not ready for primetime… I suspect without at least three quality additions in January top four will be beyond us
Top 4? I think at this stage with 8 points between us and 5th (plus +14 goal difference, we can be very disappointed to not finish in the top 4 with or without additions, especially with our rivals looking so flakey. League title maybe a stretch without additions.
8 points is nothing. can get evaporated really quick until May. players need to focus and bring back their A game.
It’s one result.
A credible away draw.
Every team has its off day.
Just ask Klopp.
And Conte in about five minutes..
You have a good point. Every team has its off day. But to have a solid first half and then not to even turn up for the second half is a crime. Southampton didn’t really have a good game. We were just awful in the second half. For some reason every player apart from ramsdale just switched off. To make matters worse, the players who came on to help us didn’t look like they had ever played in the Premier League before.
Well we have two quality additions in Zinchenko and Smith-Rowe to return.
I agree, I have always felt that we were fighting for top 4, because the mentality and personel needed to compete at top hasn’t been there for a few weeks now, we stopped playing when we were a goal up against Fulham, Liverpool, Spurs, Villa, Leeds… City rather attack and press you more when they take a lead, and they are relentless until they 2 or 3 up. We have been doing the exact opposite. We have started well but this one-goal project was never going to be sustainable, we stopped playing after our goal and encouraged the Saints to… Read more »
It’s just a draw… And we were not completely bad, we were unlucky not to have scored more but we created the opportunities for ourselves. Give us break please, beating all those teams you mentioned is not a fluke, it takes grit and mental fortitude. The lads are doing just alright.
The two matches we’ve dropped points this season has dodgy ‘refreeing’ that should tell us something.
Fair play, his comments are spot on. I trust Mikel to coax the team to give a response against Forest. I wouldn’t risk too many players against PSV but maybe that’s just me. Win vs Forest will set us up nicely for the derby vs Chelsea. We need to go on another mini run before the WC.
Every team has a bad day.
Just move on.
Best thing to do..
Indeed…..and spuds just lost …at home
Spurs losing is the more reason we should have won.
I actually think that’s a tad harsh from the manager; not only were the players tired, but they were getting zero protection from the wuzzock with the whistle.
Heavy rotation during the week, give the first team lads a rest, put the stiffs and the kids out against PSV and we go again against Forest and a packed noisy Emirates.
COYG
It won’t be stiffs and kids, Mikel won’t risk defeat at PSV (who lost 4-2 today by the way).
It’ll be 5 from today, plus the usual Dead Poet’s Society of Turner, Holding, Lokonga, Tierney, Vieira, Nketiah.
If he does that, we will have one very knackered team to face a rejuvenated Nottingham Forest. Drop points again and all of a sudden the mind games with the media – who’ll be willing us to fail as ever – will begin. Only this time it’ll be October, not April.
The Premiership MUST be prioritised before the Europa League. I would rest as many of the first XI against PSV as possible and more fool Arteta if he doesn’t.
You read it here first.
Against PSV I would start;
Turner
Cedric
Foran
Holding
Sousa
Lokonga
Cotterell
Vieira
Nelson
Marquinos
Nketiah
That’s committing suicide.
Eight of those eleven guys have Premiership experience.
Three very good youngsters. Hardly suicide.
My bad. Seven of those guys have Premiership experience. Still hardly suicidal.
They’re my starting XI, remember.
Taking the field against Forest next weekend with a knackered team – now that IS suicidal.
To be disappointed with a draw at a stadium we’ve often struggled at shows how far we’ve come. I think we’re not yet focusing on the title, top 4 is probably still the target, and on that we’re doing very well.
“we could have won much more comfortably than we did” – for sure, seeing as we didn’t. But I know what he means. There will be days like this. We were OK and we didn’t lose. Made me laugh how some pundits (BEIN Sports) were trying to create anxiety post-match about the fact that we are now “only” two points clear. At the top of the Premier League. First world problem, and not one that any of us expected. Also, we have just increased our lead over Sp*rs.
Yeah, the BBC came out with the ‘only’ two points quip as well.
Spud loving wankers.
Off topic, but let’s all laugh at Tottenham!! 😂
🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵
Everywhere they go! 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 Everywhere they go! 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵 🎵
Once in a while, I pop into one of the Spuds fans blog and take the mickey. They just got turned over at home by you-know-who, I’m not feeling exactly on top of the world right now, so it seems like a good time to go troll the scum.
They appear to be trolling themselves at the moment.
By all accounts, a section of the fanbase has already turned on Conte.
Comedy Gold. I fucking love it. What they weren’t going to do this season, the Spursy scum bags.
Sincerely looking forward to the next handbags bust up between Lloris and Son, Eric Dier having his nineteenth nervous breakdown and Kane twanging his ageing hamstrings.
And Conte’s face whilst he watches it all unfold, wondering if he’s got PSG’s number on speed dial.
Disappointing but everyone has off days.
Still top, hopefully we are still there come the WC……
He might be the only top 6 manager that doesn’t immediately blame refs or make excuses, like Klopp’s embarrassing “We conceded silly goals” after we beat them. Arteta says “no complaints” and “credit to Saints,” by contrast. I like it.
Manure chelski Sp*rs liverpool all dropped points and we remain top not that bad a weekend
Yeah it’s not too bad. Man City lost last weekend anyway so we’re no worse off than we were two weeks ago.
This dropped two points is all our making. A second goal and there is no way Southampton is coming back, but we persist with taking our foot off the pedal after one goal.
Tomiyasu is needless at LB if there is no inverted winger to mark. He was a weak link this evening – no link-up whatsoever with Martinelli.
The winning league run is over so Mikel will probably revert back to Tierney as left back against Forest (unless Zinchenko returns).
Yet Arteta persist with Tomiyasu at left back. He doesn’t add to the attack in that position.
“Ah yeah it’s a shame he didn’t put them away” Can I just ask, when he’s ahead of the lumbering defender and only has the goalie to beat , it’s a real shame that he couldn’t shoot because the big lad behind him grabs his upper body with both arms and it’s a real shame that that’s allowed and the var boys are sitting up in a warm room drinking tea and having a right laugh. ITWTDLI ( if that was the David Luiz index)…….not even the GX index…..Luiz would not only have penalty awarded against him but would also… Read more »
These are worrying words from Arteta. He looks to be as deluded as Liz Truss right now. Fatigue absolutely IS a problem right now: the players look tired. Arteta’s asinine comments about it being ok for a player to play 70 matches in a season is completely at odds with modern theories in sports’ science. Top-level performers need plenty of rest during a season to avoid injury and burn-out. I worry especially for guys like Saka and Martinelli, who seem to have played every game. We are playing the price for not bringing in enough quality in the summer. WE… Read more »
I wouldn’t take what he says in public at face value. His job isn’t to tell the truth there, it’s to say the things that help the team the most. The point of that statement was to publicly put it out there that the players couldn’t use fatigue as an excuse and make sure they all would know that and to make it less likely that they will be asked about it by the media.
Very clear Saka was absent after about half an hour, and that was it. We need depth and a more brutal mentality
If you take the rhetoric against MA, I mostly agree with you. With Mo, ESR & Zinc coming back into the side there’s space for on more player, unless we get rid of Cedric. We should get that player in as early in January as possible.
Take out
Spot on