Arsenal squandered the opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool as West Ham stunned the Emirates with a 1-0 win built on a disciplined defensive performance.
Jarrod Bowen’s close-range header in the closing stages of the first half left the Gunners with it all to do after the break and their task became a whole lot harder when VAR recommended substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly be sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity on 73 minutes.
In truth, Mikel Arteta’s side looked out of sorts from the get-go and while a paucity of attacking options didn’t help their cause, it was still a shock that the visitors, who’d been beaten 5-2 earlier in the season, were the ones to end a 15-game unbeaten run in the league. Understandably, the manager was unimpressed by the performance.
“It’s very painful. First of all, we congratulate West Ham for the victory. From our side, very disappointed. For big parts of the game, our performance level wasn’t what we had to do to beat them in a convincing way,” Arteta told BBC Sport.
“Obviously, there were other factors during the game that made it more difficult, with 10 men we tried desperately, we tried and put a lot of effort and energy into that but we lacked a lot of precision, a lot of quality, repetition of positive actions to have momentum during the game. We never managed to do that today.
“We weren’t at our level, especially with the ball and that allowed very simple giveaways, big transition moments against a team that wants to run. Then the game went just before half time with one counter, a cross from the right and their arrival really good. We didn’t defend well enough and the game becomes very tricky.”
Put to him that his side’s attacking injuries played a part, he continued: “I don’t want to put it down to that [injuries]. Our overall play and level of simple and consistent things we need to do with the ball was not at the level we needed and first of all it is my responsibility for that.”
Reflecting on his substitutions, which included throwing Oleksandr Zinchenko and Myles Lewis-Skelly on for an underwhelming Declan Rice and Riccardo Calafiori, he said: “We wanted to generate another dynamic, generate a little bit better momentum, we were more at it and looked more of a threat.
“But then we get the situation where Myles gets sent off and it gets even tougher, we tried very much, pushed but we could not find a way to score.
“Tomorrow is another day. We have to be very disappointed with what happened and how it happened but there’s a long way, 12 games to go a lot to play for, we are still in February and what happened today can happen to any team and we can only control what we do.”
Arsenal play football like I play chess – one move at a time. I don’t see a sequence of moves, I just see each player getting the ball and wondering what to do with it next. And to be honest, it’s been like that the whole season.
I have to say I don’t understand why this 22 year old forward butler is not being given a chance. If he’s good enough to be at the club all these years then god dam play him when our forwards are pony.
If he was good enough, he would be playing.
He’s not good enough.
Nonsense. It’s only injuries that has allowed Lewis skelly and Nwaneri to get a game. Why is he still at the club at 22 and could he be any worse than merino playing number 9. He would have been something different ffs. Worth a try when what you got is not working.
Not enough Specicifity. Same reason esr is playing for Fulham. Mikel “little red riding hood” Arteta.
For me, Arsenal play like my stream as my prostate grows. Slow to start, and weak dribbling throughout.
Hehehehe we will never be once opted not to buy in any attacking player at winter window.. We just giving ourselves false hopes of winning the EPL when your 4 best attackers are injured no team can survived that even if Liverpool got beaten by city no way for us cox its going to be difficult against forest and for the rest of the season.. It will be a miracle if we end up winning the EPL I swear but we got focus on finishing the season strong and focus on UCL hang in there till we have saka &… Read more »
The main feeling I have is that is is just a massive shame and missed opportunity. Why in January the board thought we could just write the season off from the position we were in I don’t know!
We have set very high standards in the last few years but January seemed to be where we stalled.
I think the owners set the goal as Top 4, and the Board is fine with this. Hurts my heart as a fan.
They haven’t been spending like top 4 is the goal. Problem is all the time and money spent on goalkeepers and inverted full backs that Arteta loses interest in after a few months.
Or maybe this is our level, performances like this happen too frequently even given our
injury issues. Under the circumstances to say today’s showing was disappointing is an understatement. Everything about the team is flat and that is very difficult to explain .
Too frequently ? We have lost one in 16
But to defend the poster, Leicester last week was the same and we just played our joker and it got us out of jail. Lightning didn’t strike twice. We’ve just not got the squad and our good players are being played to death.
he said performances, not results. and he’s right. reminds me of unai’s 22 game unbeaten run. and we know what happened after
Yes, but too many flat performances that led draws.
We have lost our entire front line. There isn’t a team in the world that would cope with that. Not a single one.We lost this league to injuries. If Salah got injured and Saka and Martinelli stayed fit, we’d be top and Liverpool would be about 5th.
Sick of hearing it to be honest, just take the fine for not doing the interview…….we don’t wanna hear it
We have suffered too many injuries to key players & even when they returned their form has never really stabilized. It’s hard to manage that & this obviously disrupts the pattern of the play & the team’s creativity & attacking threat.Many players had no real rest last summer & that has affected us & you can see it at other clubs except Liverpool. Maybe they had a better ride due to the fact that they suffered injuries last season to some key players & they had also bought players that were still settling. As a result it could be that… Read more »
In 30-plus signings, he’s bought 1 striker – Jesus, whiffed on his number 8 signings and has wasted energy signing countless goalkeepers. Today, Califiori, Rice and Merino all played out of position. I blame that botched windows, more than injuries. We should have signed SOMEONE in January!
We have been quite flat this season, the spark of a couple of years ago with Martinelli and Saka emerging has gone. We too slow-paced and chess-like as Savage says. I usually holler at the television if I see a CB put his studs on the ball, it all too often means all momentum in a move has gone ie forwards have to check their run and go back. Arteta should fine defensive players if they don’t move the ball on within a couple of seconds. Most teams struggle with a low block, our defence is still one of the… Read more »