Arteta Laments Costly Lapses Despite Arsenal’s Comeback at Anfield

Arteta Laments Costly Lapses Despite Arsenal’s Comeback at Anfield

Mikel Arteta was not satisfied with just a point after Arsenal clawed back to draw 2-2 against Liverpool at a raucous Anfield. Despite showing grit to recover from an early two-goal deficit, the Arsenal manager was openly critical of his team’s first-half performance, describing key defensive lapses and poor decisions as “unacceptable.”

Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino scored to pull Arsenal level after a disastrous opening. However, Merino’s red card and a hamstring injury to Leandro Trossard compounded Arteta’s concerns. The draw keeps Arsenal in the Champions League qualification race, but the manager’s post-match press conference made clear he saw more warning signs than positives.

Defensive Standards Under Fire

Arteta emphasized his frustration with the team's early display, pointing to avoidable mistakes in possession and poor reactions defensively.

“A lot of parts, especially the defending standards… very far off it,” he said. “Really upset.”

He lamented that the team gave away the ball in dangerous areas, which he considers “totally prohibited” against a team like Liverpool.

Frustration Despite the Comeback

While most would consider the fightback commendable, Arteta took the opposite view.

“I think it makes it worse,” he said. “You miss half of the team again… and after two-nil at Anfield, any other team will do what we play the way that we play. Come back, maybe should have won it, and at the end maybe lose it again.”

Arteta criticized the lack of consistency over 95 minutes and pointed out that this was the sixth time Arsenal had to play with ten men this season.

On the Red Card

Asked about Merino’s sending off, Arteta admitted he hadn’t seen the replay but acknowledged the midfielder appeared to react after a push.

“He gets a little bit pushed and after he reacts… it looks like he touches him,” said Arteta. “He made the decision, so that’s it.”

Squad Depth and Injuries

With Leandro Trossard going off injured and several others not fully fit, Arteta noted his team is running out of options.

“We have players on that pitch today that shouldn’t be on that pitch,” he admitted.

Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber were both unavailable, with Timber not yet fit to return despite being tested before the match.

The Dressing Room Response

When asked how he motivated the team to turn things around, Arteta chose to keep details of his halftime talk private but hinted at strong words.

“It couldn’t be much worse,” he said. “Thankfully, we did in the second half what we are capable of doing.”

Arsenal will now turn their focus to the upcoming fixture against Newcastle United, with top-four hopes still in their control—but Arteta’s comments made clear he expects a dramatic improvement.

Photo: sky sports

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