Mikel Arteta remained “very, very angry” about the display of Arsenal in their 1-0 loss to West Ham and said they “deserve to feel the pain”, as Sky Sports Paul Merson said their title Hope “a million percent “is.
Jarrod Bowen's header of the close-range Before the break it turned out to be decisive in a match that also saw a red card for Arsenal replacing Myles Lewis-Skelly when the Gunners did not dive the gap in Liverpool.
The side of Arne Slot remains eight points clearly prior to their journey to Manchester City on Super Sunday and Arteta, which started Mikel Merino as an improvised striker after his two-purpose camera against Leicester, it insisted that the attacking injuries of Arsenal were not an excuse were for their bad show.
“Very disappointed, clearly also very angry,” he said in his press conference. “I think you should congratulate West Ham on the victory and the game they played.
“But there was a lot on our part that we never got well and did not allow ourselves to get enough momentum, sufficient sequences of playing with positive action that could result in situations of threats for them.
“I never felt that we were on the standard and the level we needed.
“We have to be [angry]. I hope we are very bad because we have not reached the levels today and I am very responsible for that. So I am very, very, very angry. “
Arsenal lost Kai Havertz earlier this month to a seasonal knee injury after he had not reinforced their attack in the January transfer window. They are also without Gabriel Martinelli, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, with the last for the rest of the campaign, such as Havertz.
“No, no, no,” he said when he was asked if the execution argued his comments about wanting a new striker in January. “I think we should look at what we can do better in the mirror of ourselves.
“The will and desire and the way we run and the way we want it. Zero question about that. But at that level it is not enough.
“You have to deliver and it must be with a lot of quality to split a really good team to win many more duels than we have done and to take action that can end at a truly threatening moment for the position to Winning and today we didn't do that. “
Asked for their chances of catching Liverpool in the title race, Arteta added: “It is not in our hands. For me I am really, really irritated by the things that we have not done as good as we are Possibly could and that is the implementation and the result today.
Arsenal travel to the city area on Wednesday to face Nottingham Forest and Arteta insisted on his players to “feel the pain” of the result while bouncing back. “We have to feel the pain, we deserve it,” he said.
“We have to suffer. Twenty -four, 48 hours, suffer and feel the pain and ensure that we come back on Monday with that bite and that anger is still in the belly for Wednesday.”
Merson: I am now taking care of Arsenal
While Arteta begged his players to use the result as a motivation to bounce back, the former Arsenal -midfielder Mersonon insisted that the defeat ends their hope to defeat Liverpool in the title.
“[The title race is over] A million percent, “he said on football on Saturday.” Arsenal cannot catch Liverpool. They don't have ahead. They have a young 17-year-old in Nwaneri who has a bright future, but he was struggling today.
“[Leandro] In my opinion, Trossard is a BIT part player. There is absolutely no chance that Arsenal can win the competition. Even if Liverpool is beaten 7-0 [against Man City]Arsenal can't win it.
“I have seen enough today to know that they are going to struggle until the end of the season. They still have 12 games left and will do well to win half of it.
“Suddenly the PSV game in the Champions League is a heads or tails. They have nothing at the front. They are toothless. Center-forward is such an art, you can't just throw anyone there. I don't see them defeating Nottingham Forest – I would be shocked.
“Arsenal was lucky last week, let's be honest,” he added to last weekend's 2-0 win over Leicester. “At 0-0 they made Leicester look pretty.
“Merino comes up and scores two very charities. But it is a difficult position to play, center, there are not many around.
“To just throw people there and expect them to do the magic, is amazing for me.
“He looked like a fish in a tree. I don't want to be disrespectful for him, he is a regular midfield player. You just can't do that. I am now taking care of Arsenal.”
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