Arteta proud of Gunners but says there's "something missing" after Villa snatch draw
Yesterday at 03:54 PM
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal produced their “best game” against Villa since he took over as manager five years ago but their dominant performance wasn’t enough to take all three points as the visitors fought back from two goals down.
Arsenal controlled the game for the first hour, with Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz capitalising on Leandro Trossard's fine work. However, Villa stunned the home crowd with quick-fire goals from Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins, setting up a tense finale.
Arsenal thought they’d won the game in the closing stages when Mikel Merino’s effort deflected into the net off Kai Havertz but after the celebrations had died down, VAR ruled it out for a handball by the German.
Other chances came and went as profligacy again put a dent in the Gunners’ title chances. Indeed, having earlier watched Liverpool snatch a late win at Brentford, Arne Slot’s men are very much in the ascendency.
After the game, Arteta told Sky Sports: “Pride [at] the way the boys played and competed, the third time in six days. To deliver that dominance, that performance, they were outstanding. We deserved much more, that’s clear.
On the goals conceded, both of which came from crosses into the box, the Spaniard said: “The way we defended, especially the second goal, can’t be part of our game.
“Overall the word is pride because they were exceptional. The way they tried [was impressive]. There were players that were dead and performed like this for 97 minutes. They don’t look for excuses or to the bench looking what to do.
“It was the best game we played against Villa since I’ve been here. They’re a good side. In attack and defending, the level we’re playing is so, so, so high because we’ve played some big teams and we were so good, but there’s something missing. The line is so thin and we have to find it.
“Today, the way we concede the goals it cannot be part of our game if you want to be up there. Today we cannot concede the two goals that we’ve done after doing everything that you’ve done with that discipline, that commitment with that resilience, that quality, that line is so thin, against them especially. We have been punished before with that and you cannot do it.”
Asked about the decision to rule out the goal that went in off Havertz, he added: “The decision is made. It’s difficult because we have so much emotion, the celebration and it’s taken away from you. Not easy.”
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