Mikel Arteta spoke to TNT Sport after Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle this afternoon.
Here’s what he had to say.
Thoughts on what wasn’t right …
Well, I thought we started really well. We were very dominant until their best moment. Direct play, second ball. We didn’t defend the box well enough.
Credit to them as well. They put an unbelievable delivery and header in the box. And from there, the game changes. You know, when you have to face this team, the moment they go ahead, you’re going to start to play a different game. You have to adapt to that.
We didn’t do well enough. We didn’t find enough answers to a lot of the questions and situations that you have to resolve better. So I am very frustrated.
Did Arsenal show their teeth today?
It was more related as well with certain situations. Obviously we didn’t cope with them well enough and we got dragged into a game that they are looking for constantly. We didn’t have enough consistency to get out of that game to play the game that we wanted.
We had moments too that we created two or three big chances, because they didn’t really create much at all. But that was the difference in the game.
Why didn’t Arsenal make more chances like Rice’s header at the death?
We had two big chances. Mikel had another big chance. Gabriel Martinelli had another big one. But yeah, in these games, especially when you are away and they defend after that so deep, we lacked those chances.
How do you stop heads dropping with Inter and Chelsea to come?
Well, it’s time to do it on the pitch. We can say whatever we want. Probably we’re not going to find the right words today because after losing a game, you are hurt.
But we have to show it on the pitch on Wednesday night.
On the margins being tight when challenging for the title …
Yeah, it’s always the case in this league. And you understand the position that you’re playing and the level is raising. You have to be at our best in every department to give yourself the chance to win, especially when you play, again, away from home against this kind of opponents.
Missing key players and playing down to 10 has had a significant impact on our season so far, but those would be cheap excuses masking today’s abysmal, likely season defining performance.
We’ve regressed significantly in terms of the quality of our play which is also backed up by most stats.
While I’m beyond grateful for how Arteta has brought this club back from the dead, I’m becoming less convinced that
we can take the much needed final step with him.
I’ll get downvoted to hell and this is premature, but this is exactly the type of situation where a manager like Arteta will jump ship for Madrid. If we have a lukewarm season and things start feeling a little too stale he’d be stupid not to cash in before his stock falls.
We had enough on the bench to win this game…on what planet does Raheem not replace martinelli and keep his shirt? Offers more penetration and he’s been in these kind of battles…merino and rice somehow stifle creativity when paired alongside trossard…not sure we should ever start that midfield again.. TP and Rice or Jorginho who was largely instrumental to a run of games last season where we scored 4,5,6 goals…. Nwaneri like when ESR broke into the team isn’t starting becoming mikel is conservative…then keep ben white at RB…you cant undo 2years of chemistry with saka for an experiment….zinchenko’s creativity… Read more »
Your rant is fantastic and on point.
He has shown that he has what it takes to do really well. But I feel the last two season’s near misses have made Mikel more pragmatic. In my opinion, we need to find a balance, and I am confident he will make the necessary tweaks. Plus, it doesn’t help that we have been fuvcked by referees TWICE (arguably thrice) in games this season and they massively affected results. When you add the constant injuries at full back, Odegaard missing etc you can cut the manager some slack. I have noticed that our press is sh*t without Øde and that… Read more »
This will end the exact same way it did under Emery. Except we never gave him the time and resources that Arteta has been given.
The most backed manager in Arsenal history – what do we have to show for that?
I’ve really enjoyed the last few years which h think counts for something. One of the best Arsenal teams of my lifetime and I’m 51
Spot on. The whiners are out in force today. Difficult to hear the telly for the sound of toys being jettisoned from prams.
Agree with you. I will say, it’s often the players that make a manager look good or bad, and we’ve (and Arteta/Edu) caught lighting in a bottle with the Odegaard acquisition. Now that he’s unavailable it’s been interesting to see how Arteta has approached things. I’d say the jury is out.
Hopefully it will end differently but the second part is sacrosanct.
Didn’t we finish last season with more points than we ever had in our club’s history? Was the fact that wasn’t enough for a title Arteta’s fault? Seriously? Or that we’re up against the best manager and the richest club in the history of football, and one which is allowed to cheat freely?
Coming within a few points of a PL title in back to back seeaons is a lot to show, IMO.
Think we should pre pone our Dubai trip.
Let’s go to Dubai.
At least I went for a shit in the second half so the game time wasn’t entirely wasted.
Worrying part is our defense is looking shaky despite apparent upgrades in summer. Timber got roasted by Gordon multiple times (inc goal) and Saliba seems to be making uncharacteristic mistakes.
It’s shaky because it changes every fucking game. Five different players have appeared at left back already!
And half of them aren’t fully fit.
Time to have a rice discussion
Fried with chicken curry and chips.
I was wondering before the start of the season, what happens if Odegard is injured. Surley he can’t go playing all season + 8 pointless games for Norway. Looks like we didn’t, and don’t really have a plan. Merino seems to static right now and needs more time to adjust. Zinchenko is collecting his pension at Arsenal. Partey was the only player that really put in a shift. We really need a solid plan to replace Odegard when he is injured.
And we sold/loaned his two natural replacements and we don’t trust the third to start
Man City lost. So back in the title race.
It’s not just City we have to compete against though, we are 7 points off Liverpool which is a worry.
Pool won though. And we have bigger problems than the Title Race atm.
Yup. Title race isn’t a thing with the performances we’ve had.
Happy Invincibles Day – small crumb of comfort today🤔
That’s more than a little crumb of comfort. Liverpool, I think, are very catchable unless they spend big in January. The next run of games for both teams are brutal. We just need to beat Chelsea go for the international break, have the likes of Øde back, go on a solid run, and many people will have egg on their faces for their overreaction.
Cheer up folks, it’s not all bad news.
Bournemouth 2 Utter Cunts 1. Happy Invincibles Day!
Those red cards early this season completely destroyed our momentum or any chance to build it. Results have been kind today but we need to get our act together and hope a few more go our way. A win at Chelsea would be massive.
Big chances? Only Rice I can remember. His persona on the side of the pitch manifests onto the players and they totally lose it when things don’t go their way
Sorry team, that was a rubbish performance today, deserved nil points. Better get your act together fast. Can’t even enjoy the fact that Man City lost!
Nice to see that Bruno is still a weaselly cheating little cunt! Somethings never change
His in game management has been poor this season, even if we go a goal down we still keep playing the same way. Backwards and sideways,