Mikel Arteta explains what he has been ‘very unhappy’ with at Arsenal amid title race
Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the easy goals his team has given away in recent weeks.
In the last four games, the Gunners have allowed 19 percent of the total goals they have conceded this season, and they have not kept a clean sheet in the league since they played against Fulham in March.
This was evident in their previous match against West Ham, where they lost a two-goal advantage and ended up with a draw. This has resulted in their lead at the top of the Premier League table being reduced to only four points, putting the competition with Manchester City in a precarious position.
Why Arteta has been ‘very unhappy’ with at Arsenal amid title race
When asked why his side dropped points after the Hammers clash, Arteta responded: “Because after we could not control what West Ham was proposing. If you concede two goals away from home, it’s so hard to win football matches in the way we did. We have to blame ourselves there for how we defended our boxes.”
The issue of conceding goals was once again at the forefront of the manager’s thoughts ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming match against Southampton on Friday evening.
When asked about conceding soft goals, he said: “Especially the last two goals we gave away, yes, very unhappy with that. It’s something we have to do much better to win games.”
A lot of people have attributed the frequent injuries at the back as the main cause for such results, and William Saliba has been one of the notable absentees in recent weeks. However, Arteta was reluctant to use that as an excuse for the team’s defensive lapses. “Regardless of who plays, we have to defend those situations much better.”
Arteta will be eager to witness an enhancement from his team when they take on Southampton, ahead of their possible title-deciding match against Manchester City the following week.
Mikel Arteta explains what he has been ‘very unhappy’ with at Arsenal amid title race