Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made a honest admission following the club’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on New Year’s Eve. The Gunners suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to West Ham United earlier this week....
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has made a honest admission following the club’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on New Year’s Eve.
The Gunners suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to West Ham United earlier this week. They created as many as five big chances but were unable to find the net.
However, it was a completely different story against the Cottagers. The club managed only three shots on target and had some good fortune in opening the scoring.
Speaking after the 2-1 defeat, Arteta said that the team were not efficient enough. He added that there was not enough ball speed, movement or threat and they gave ‘too many balls’ away.
The Spaniard felt the club didn’t deserve to win based on the lacklustre display in the derby.
He said: “No, we weren’t efficient enough. We didn’t have enough ball speed, enough movement, enough threat, and when we did that, we gave too many balls away. Not only when we were playing, but after regaining it straight away, which is the most dangerous moment to give away.”
“When you do that, and you don’t have consistent momentum, we never got set in the final third in the right moments, and you concede two goals like we’ve done, then it becomes very difficult to win the game. Today we didn’t deserve to win the game, and that’s very clear and simple.”
Arsenal looked toothless in the final third
The Gunners had a bad month of December, losing 11 points in the Premier League.
As a result, they have dropped from first to fourth in the league table. The gap to the top is currently two points, but it could become five if Liverpool beat Newcastle United at Anfield tomorrow.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are clear favourites to beat the Magpies and the Gunners have a huge job ahead in order to challenge the Merseyside outfit for the league title this campaign.
Any neutral fan may say that the Gunners need to invest on a marquee striker, but Arteta should be concerned with most of the attackers going through a lean phase of form.
The Gunners don’t return to league action until January 20 against Crystal Palace and this could offer the manager and the players to reset and prepare for another London derby.
They still have to face Liverpool in the FA Cup third round next weekend. Arteta will be desperate to avoid another early Cup exit but Arsenal must improve to beat the Reds at home.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
The post 'Too many': Mikel Arteta makes honest admission after Fulham defeat first appeared on Gooner Talk.
