Having watched his side surrender a two-goal advantage for the second successive week, Mikel Arteta was understandably disappointed by his side’s performance at West Ham United.
The Gunners looked to be cruising to victory inside the opening 15 minutes courtesy of goals by Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard but were pegged back before the break by Said Benrahma’s penalty.
Arsenal should have put the game to bed for a second time when referee David Coote awarded them a penalty of their own but Bukayo Saka stroked it wide. Within two minutes, Jarod Bowen stuck the knife in, with an equaliser that leaves the title race in the balance.
Here’s what the boss had to say about the 2-2 draw when he faced the Sky Sports cameras…
On his assessment of the match…
Yeah, very disappointing because the way we started the game was superb. Again, you go two-nil up and you have the game in total control. Then we have to blame ourselves. We lost that purpose to really attack them, to threaten that goal, instead we kept the ball just for the sake of playing and we give them hope and then conceded a terrible penalty where we give the ball away. After that, credit to them, they started to play direct, we could not control those situations and you start to get in that roller coaster where everything is throw in, throw in, corner and then corner. And we didn’t manage to get away from that. What we did in the second half, even with the changes, it wasn’t enough. Obviously, it’s a crucial moment at 2-1 when you have a penalty. You make it 3-1 and it’s a different game and two minutes later you concede a goal.
On whether he was surprised to see his players lose momentum for a second week in a row…
Yeah, but it’s easy to do it from here, it’s harder to do it on the pitch but certainly the purpose we need to go for the third and fourth goal, I didn’t see it. Then we started to get sloppy and playing flicks and losing the ball inside too many times and allowing counters. It broke our flow and then again, credit to West Ham because when they do what they do, they are a really good team and put you in trouble.
On his message at half time…
That we have to change the dynamic. That if you don’t control the direct play, you’re never going to dominate the game and it’s what happened straight from kick-off. We conceded a throw-in, a corner, a corner. Then it’s a crucial moment when you can go 3-1 up and you go 2-2, two minutes later.
On Saka usually being reliable from the spot…
Yes, but a player that takes penalties, misses penalties. I haven’t known anybody who doesn’t. Still we should have done things much better after the first 30 minutes.
On what he made of the performance at 2-2…
When we changed it, we improved. We got some control in the game and we started to play much more in the final third but we lacked that last pass, that opening to make it. Bukayo’s through, we have three against two after 40 metres of running and we didn’t manage to kill the game.
On what he’ll say to his players about title race talk being notched up…
The same. I don’t know how many notches there were three months ago, seven months ago, it’s always there. We can’t control it. Fortunately, we can control playing better than we did when we went two-nil and this is what we have to focus on.
Love what we’ve done this season but we bottled that game.
Please stop using the word ‘bottled’. They were sloppy and West Ham did well to come back. They needed points too. We didn’t lose and derbies are always tough away from home. That word is reserved for Sp*s and their consistent failings, not a young team on their first title charge. Also it’s just a horrible word which seems to be a favourite amongst 12 year olds in today’s trashy football culture.
Just because you disagree with the phrasing, it doesn’t mean it’s not true. To concede a two goal lead two weeks in a row when you’re leading the league by EIGHT points is bottling it. I’ve watched West Ham live a few times this season (in-laws are season ticket holders) and we made them look like a top four side after that first 20 minutes. I never expected to be in this position this season and I’m proud of what Arteta and the team have done to be challenging so quickly. But I’ll repeat it again. We bottled that match… Read more »
We were two nil up after ten minutes and playing around them and they looked all over the place. We collapsed. Don’t dance around it. We needed to step up and show our credentials and all we did was prove Gary Neville right. We are repeating exactly what we did last season when we lost out on the Champions League, except instead of losing games we are blowing leads and drawing when we should be winning, which is even worse. We have proven every opposing fan and pundit correct when they said we would collapse. And to make things even… Read more »
Less of the fucking word ‘bottle’ pal.
It’s like Catchphrase. Say what you see, pal.
There are a lot of fair weather fans now. Most would have been delighted by 4th this season. Just remember this team have always given their best performances when they have felt the support of the fans.
Not a fair weather fan. When we were 2-0 up, WH fans were singing ‘we’re shit and we know we are’ – our fans were applauding. Like I said, what we’ve done this season is fucking brilliant. Beyond belief. I’d have taken 4th at the start of the season. All I’m saying is we fucked that game after being in a great position after 15 minutes. Because we took our foot off the gas, we may have lost ourselves out first league title for 20 years. And that’s a very sad position to be in. Just remember, everyone is entitled… Read more »
It was so dissapointing to watch. I thought after going 2 up we should be going for the kill, firstly because that’s what you should do when you have a 2 goal lead (have they learnt lessons of last week?), and second because who is to say if goal difference will have a part to play. I was thinking get 5/6/7 today and swing that GD a bit towards us. But we slowed down so much, became too passive and let WHU back into the game, gave the crowd something to get fired up over… the similarities to the Liverpool… Read more »
Spot on mate – see my suggestion elsewhere on here that Mik replace ‘winning’ with ‘goal difference’. Positive goal diff in any given game and the win is there, by rights. But focus on scoring as many as we bloody can… that way we NEVER become complacent. That Hammers game was the perfect moment to eradicate City’s advantage on goals – never better. Bloody hell – now I’m furious all over again!
City at the Etihad is now a MUST win.
A draw will do fine but the buffer is gone. If draw against city. Newcastle is a must win.
If we draw against City, we have to win everything which is gonna be very difficult but doable. First Things first, beat Southampton and do it well with a clean shit and no stupid moments and then we go at City and at the very least not get beat. Arguably the biggest game in Arsenal’s history in the last 20 years. Season defining doesn’t even cut it, we beat them, it is a statement and will do wonders to the confidence of the players not just this season but for the next 5 seasons. Because this journey is just beginning,… Read more »
A clean shit is the minimum we should be looking at.
Any kind of messy or runny shit and we are done.
Lmao yep pretty much
That’s only on the assumption that City won’t drop any more points.
Nothing is guaranteed in this game. Nothing. Not even City making a clean sweep 😉
I assume you mean clean sheet? 😉
Brighton at home is a banana peel as well
Draw definitely good as well
Even with a 2-0 lead against City at the Etihad we will blow it. Just like last season were we fked up the top 4, this season we are fking up the title. Qualifying for the Champions League will be our trophy this season.
Go on now, go, walk out the door
Just turn around now
’cause you’re not welcome anymore
Weren’t you the one who tried
To hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I’d crumble? Did you
Think I’d lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love
I know I’ll stay alive
I’ve got all my life to live
And I’ve got all my love to give
And I’ll survive, I will survive, hey hey
Aaah, mate. Just gonna have to iTunes that funky shit and throw some shapes around the kitchen, whilst I clear the dinner things. Just grooving to that disco hi-hat cymbal. And minding I don’t tread on the dogs tail.
Jeez, some of you lot really are wallowing.
Give it a rest, FFS.
Nah.
Beat Southampton at home and then the game away against City becomes avoid defeat. Our lads are more than capable of that.
Do those two things and the title is very much on.
Win our last five and it’s ours.
A tall order maybe, but not impossible. And, of course, should City drop any more points after they’ve played us, then our task becomes easier accordingly.
Have some faith mate; don’t give up.
I would add SPANK Southampton at home… chip away at the goal-difference to remove even that little psychological edge. But we MUST NOT play for the draw at Citeh… not even in the back of our minds. Go balls out to score at least 3 and mug the bloody giant Viking so he doesn’t get a look in! Mik needs to tell the boys that every goal they score on Wednesday effectively counts as TWO! It’s very likely that this will go down to goal diff… I’m saying it here. Score score score… and rotationally and systematically foul Haaland the… Read more »
This league is still ours and we will win at Etihad BUTTTTT WE NEEEEEED SALIBA BACK Holding needs to go this summer he’s not Arsenal quality I’m sorry good servant but goodness is he terrible on the ball and can’t play out from the back how we kept Holding and let chambers go I don’t know both of them should’ve been gone. Arsenal need to invest in a quality RCB CDM RB RW and ST because Nketiah Is not the profile of striker that suits us and Balogun needs another loan
Early two-goal lead even against Liverpool, it means when we attack it works. Why do something else?
I hope he told them what an arrogant bunch of pricks they were. That 3 on 2 situation was totally fucked up by Saka on top of his missed penalty – he has been amazing but to take criticism as well as praise, human nature. Awful result and as the song goes ‘2-0 and we fucked it up’
Saka wasn’t at the races today.
There truly is a first time for everything.
All we can do is beg the soccer gods to make Man City lose.
Everton away. Southampton away. West Ham away. 7 points dropped. That’s the title.
Nah.
I got a sneaky feeling that Brighton are gonna have those cocky Manc cunts on toast down at the Amex.
That would be three delicious points less to have to worry about. I think we can hold them to a draw too.
Q – I truly believe this is all about us… here’s why: beat Saints and Citeh MUST win at their gaff – pressure beat Saints by 3 or even 4 and their goal advantage withers – more pressure score as many as we can at the Yeti’s-Hut – each is effectively worth TWO (see previous point) keep winning elsewhere – we MUST stay within 1 win/draw/loss Why? Because they have to finish their season away to the Bees and the Gulls – neither is an easy place to go, so if we can only make those 2 must-win games for… Read more »
You forgot Brighton and Brentford away which is more likely something might happen.
100s mate – see my reply to Q above.
Trossard, Jesus & Martinelli should start at Soton.
You can’t treat Saka like that. He is our best player.
But he needs to be fired up. My greatest joy at our getting Trossard is that all our forwards knows there is an experience and very good alternative to them on the bench. Our coach should also be brave enough to use that option. It won’t break Saka or Martineli. It will fire them up.
agree, but sometimes a player needs that. And front line is where we have some depth at least. so, why not use the full strength of the squad when it’s not going well. This was clearly 2 points lost, points we can’t afford to lose at this stage and the stream of matches coming up!!
Saka had a bad game and that happens. He will be outstanding against Southampton.
He’s looked jaded for a few weeks now… the lad needs a reset. Mik must appreciate that?
A front four of Saka, Trossard, Martinelli, Jesus could work.
Xhaka being the one to drop out.
Who do you think should do the Xhakas job? Or we should just play without midfield alltogether 😀
Trossard can do Xhaka’s job with a little more technical nous and attacking awareness.
Trosser is more than capable of doing Xhaka’s job – he’s already the assist king, way faster, better on defence and has the quick feet in the box which Granit lacks.
I’m not slagging Xhaka off, mind you – just answering your question… Trosser is an ideal switch for Grannie.
Yep.
Saka from the bench might be advisable.
The kid looked absolutely knackered today.
Please God we have Saliba and Zinchenko back as well. 🙏🏻
Champions do not lose 2 goal leads. Not even once, but twice?
Arsenal in 1988/89 lost at home to Derby County (who were shit) and drew at home to Wimbledon (who were even more shit) in their third from last and penultimate games of the season.
Those dropped points felt like a knife being twisted in a dying body.
Didn’t stop us winning the title though.
Good narrative but that Arsenal team didn’t have a team like Pep’s City breathing down its neck
Mate, it had an even better team than this City team. Barnes, Beardsley and Rush were all world class players whilst Aldridge, Nicol, Gillespie, Staunton, Whelan, Ablett, Hansen, Houghton and McMahon were all seasoned internationals. They were an absolute machine. No one outside Highbury gave us a cat in hell’s chance – the Daily Fucking Mirror famously claimed in giant headlines ‘YOU HAVEN’T GOT A PRAYER, ARSENAL’ As for breathing down our necks, we had to go up to Anfield and do what no one had done for more than a decade – beat Liverpool at Anfield by two clear… Read more »
What a bloody night that was in the Cock… bunked work for 2 days afterwards. Was a midweeker, wasn’t it?
It was a Friday night.
Bollocks! Listen to Lee D’s reminscing about that fateful trip to Anfield (or Mickey T’sfield, as me and my mates called it for about a year after!).
He reckons that, perversely, the pressure that had resulted in them botching the games Q mentions, was gone by Anfield as the players honestly felt they chucked the title away.
So they just played… and played… and Mickey T’d those scouse slags!
I threw a full Guiness (which we’d all just gotten in to drown our sorrows) all over the ceiling in the Cock…
The team just repeated the bad habit of last week: taking their foot off the pedal after a quick two goal lead. How they can’t go full throttle for 45 minutes, at least, is beyond me. Two goals in at the break in these two games, and we would likely be four points richer as we speak. Arteta’s substitutions too have been mind boggling. Ødegaard and Jesus give us more hope of a goal than Vieira and Nelson. I wonder how we suddenly become this fickle when our ouster from the EL, and the consequent one game a week was… Read more »
Exactly! No learning from last week. It was like watching the same performance. I’m afraid that Arteta just doesn’t have the game management experience to see us over the line. The arrogance and flashiness that let west ham back in was exactly the same as against liverpool. That I’m afraid is down to the manager.
You need to get these boys up for the tasks ahead, Mikel.
Get the win against Southampton and avoid defeat at City and it’s game on.
COYG
There is absolutely no chance that we will get anything out of the City game. Maybe a corner or a freekick. Dropping 4 points from 2 games having 2-0 leads in both games and a penalty is just not good enough if you want to win a title.
You really haven’t got the stomach for a title fight, have you mate?
A shame, because that’s what’s going to happen with Arteta at the helm every April and May from now on…….😉
Something tells me a huge section of our fanbase would be piling on Xhaka if it was him who missed the penalty to go 3-1 up and spurned that fine chance on the counter moments after. I’m not saying we should accuse Saka for our failure to win today, just trying to point out the nonsense that went on after the Liverpool draw.
We have to match City now.
The fans need to get some perspective. Nobody expected us to be here. The players need the fans to have their backs now more than ever. It is still in our hands, but they need the fans, they’ve never been in this position before in their lives apart from Jesus and Zinchenko. This is a really crucial moment for the club and people need to stick together especially when there are hyenas,, fans of our rivals who have been terrible ready to jump at our throats whenever we show some doubt.
I think Arteta is starting to accept that 10,000 passes is not the correct way to close out a comfortable position.
Just as in business, when you’re on top, find something new to be passionate about, go for the next goal, don’t drift.
Goal difference is that ‘something new’ mate – it’s there in front Mik. We have to score big… wins will take care of themselves. Frame the task, each game, in terms of how many we need to win by. That way, there’s never complacency until we’re 3 ahead at least!
‘in front OF Mik’
My heart is with this team 100% until the end we are winning this league!
My head says its over unless city slip up.
This is very disappointing. For two games in a row we give up way too much possession. We need to be relentless and keep pushing. Finish the game when we can. 4 points lost and we are now way too dependent on City making mistakes – and they rarely make them at this point.
I dont understand the complete lack of scrutiny / discussion about Rice’s blatant handball in the build up to their goal. He cushions it with his arm to control it or it never bounces the way it does. Clear that VAR didnt look at it. But then nor was there a replay of it in the game and then the matter is just skirted over at half time.
Build up to their penalty sorry
I watched Sky, they showed replay. Rice hand was nowhere near. Party plays ball high and it bounce of the Rices belly. Nothing wrong with that one. I am more angry about penalty being awarded since paqueta was already on his way down and big Gabriel barely touched him with his knee cap.
Difficult to start with just how grossly inaccurate your comment is, mate!
I’ll make it easy for you: https://twitter.com/itslafajj/status/1647609981393420290
Watch that and then pop back and insist that ‘Rice’s hand was nowhere near’ !!
He actively brings his left arm in to control ball away from Partey – shepherding it down in front of his feet…
The 3 on 2 was poorly executed. The ball wasn’t isn’t the middle giving Saka just one choice to go left (should have either played it to Odegaard or Odegaard should have overlapped to Saka’s right. There were no options- just straight runs.
We got careless doing those flicks. Partey especially was culpable – their first goal came from a moment of overconfidence and carelessness. Respect the opponent, play your game and go for the kill – we had the Hammers where we wanted them: why bring them into the game?
Arsenal have done so well this season.
They have a wonderful future and lots to look forward to.
BUT
You have to call a spade a spade and say the Liverpool game was disappointing and the West Ham game was a complete shit show.
Praise where it is due, but criticism must also come.
That is life..
Let me see: we have the best forward line in the Premier League and we dominate and go 2-0 up against a team that’s fighting relegation and were stuffed 5-1 at home in their last game. Do you:
(A) Tell your team to press on and smash them to pieces.
Or
(B) Tell you players to try to take it easy for the next 75 minutes and hold onto what you’ve got?
Answers on a postcard.
Mate, we get the message.
Now pour yourself a large one and go to bed.
NO!!!
I’m too fucking angry!!!!!!!
I sense a bit of ego in some of our players and they haven’t won anything yet. Maybe I am overthinking but I think this new contracts situation is messing with Saka head in a negative light. I know he usually take the penalties but it seem Jesus was about to take it. Also he doesn’t normally take penalties in that manner. Hope I am overthinking. Arsenal doesn’t have the structure to manage players on big contracts.
When Arteta said “we started to get sloppy and playing flicks” I reckon he was referring to Odegaard. Those flicks are a joy when they come off though.
And yet again he brings in Viera who tries the backheel flick in front of their box 5 minutes before the end.
Vieira tried a flick that was unnecessary when we were desperately trying to keep possession.
The technical bench substitutions has been very crazy the past 2 games, Liverpool game the whole time Saka was a passenger and guess who was replaced, Gab 9, I feel some decisions have contributed to our desperate situation at the moment.
Today was another poor decisions at the most critical time you remove Partey to put Jorginho come on guys, I wonder why Trossard doesn’t start the matches anymore,something is not adding up. We are slowly handing over the tittle to Man city, it’s so disheartening to say the least.
Partey and Jesus were had yellow cards in the first half. I think the substitution was to reduce the risk of a red card. I think R Nelson should substituted earlier for Saka.
Yeah, the ref was a knob as usual. Buying everything that whinging playacting little cunt Bowen gave him.
Eddie should get a chance ahead of Jesus next week. If nothing else, to freshen things upfront. Saka has been less creative. A rest for him and start for Trossard or Nelson might not be a bad idea.
Tierney being asked to play Zinchenko’s role was giving Bowen a lot of space. We need to reassess that strategy and how costly it is defensively.
Not that Holding has been bad, but we need Saliba back. He brings a sense of calm to the backline.
jesus has only been back 2 games?
I love Eddie to bits but you start Jesus against Southampton – and City.
We’ve missed Saliba.we were cruising b4 he got injured. COYG
For me it’s playing Saka when he’s lacking for the second game in a row. Having Trossard start and having Ben White play the Zen role by moving into midfield makes much more sense than Tierney. Feel we lost what T does best today.
Think it shows how far we’ve come that we are feeling so frustrated. So close but yet undone by our focus and heavy legs.
I would like to see Arteta be brave and make changes in both tactic and subs earlier.
Can we stop talking of title challenge now?
Targets have been reached. Top 4 and totterigham. That’s their only objective.
Until it’s mathematically impossible…..NO.
Arteta is a great coach, a good strategist, but a horrible tactician.
Yeah.
I mean, us being top pretty much all season – how bad is that? 🙄
What an expensive lesson to not take the foot off the gas when you are leading 2:0 after 10mins. Blowing a lead at Anfield? Shit happens. Inviting West Ham back into the game when cruising in a title race? Unacceptable!
The lads should fu*king know better!
We did ourselves no favours yesterday (am writing this Monday morning) but here’s a train of thought that might just cut Arteta and the team a little bit of slack. When you look at how the majority of the media are billing and subsequently reporting not only this title race, but Arsenal in general this season, you begin to understand how the pressure might finally be getting to the players. I’m not making excuses here, just stating some facts that might be worth bearing in mind. On the opening day of the season, a Sky Sports pundit (and it wasn’t… Read more »
Well said, sir.
Pep is the God-head of football. I would vote for him as supreme emperor god king. To be so close on pts to them is surely the clubs greatest achievement. A dream come true. What a time to be alive. Arsenal shining bright!
Pep’s a big kid who throws his toys out of his pram when things don’t go right.
Which is why I would love to see him in full meltdown over the coming weeks.