Mikel Arteta described the defeat against Bournemouth as a “huge punch in the face” as Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered a serious blow as they suffered a crushing 2-1 defeat at the Emirates.
The Gunners showed a worrying lethargy when they face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, with Bournemouth leaving north London with all three points and giving Manchester City the chance to close the gap at the top to six points.
It was Arteta’s side’s third successive domestic defeat after losing to City in the Carabao Cup final and being eliminated by Southampton in the FA Cup, raising big questions about whether the team, who finished runners-up the past three seasons, can win their first title in 22 years.
Manager Arteta said: “It’s very disappointing.” “This is a big punch to the face, but what matters now is how we react.
“That’s what I told the boys.
“There’s no gray area. We had some very basic things today, but we did some very bad things. If we do that, they’re going to be taken advantage of, and it’s going to be very confusing and very difficult to control.”
“We have to look at ourselves. We have to suffer. It hurts. It feels terrible. But tomorrow is a different day. If someone had told me in August that we would be in this situation right now in April, I’m sure everyone would have taken it that way.”
“We need to accept the title challenge.”
Manager Arteta called on his players to fight to stop their bid for the Premier League title.
Arsenal have finished runners-up the last three seasons, and this defeat not only cedes the title to City, but also once again raises serious questions about their title-winning mentality.
The rivals face each other at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday, and if Pep Guardiola’s side win that game, beat Chelsea on Sunday and then beat Burnley on April 22, they will be level on points with the Gunners with five games remaining.
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Paul Merson suggested Arsenal’s title confidence could be dashed after their 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth, describing how “sloppy” their performance was.
But Arteta, who was without injured Bukayo Saka, Julian Timber, Martin Odegaard and Riccardo Calafioli on Saturday, said: “We can’t control that. What we can control is the performance over the last nine months.”
“Whatever they say when we lose at home, we have to accept it. There are no excuses. It’s about how we cope as individuals and as a team, and whether we can change that immediately on Wednesday (against Sporting).”
“So we need everything. We need everyone to be fit and ready to play. The players who didn’t participate today are really big and important players and we need them right away because that will make us even stronger.”
“And others need to rise up too. I’m the first one to accept this challenge and go for it.”
Arteta needs to find a solution to Arsenal’s attacking struggles
Sky Sports Oliver Yu at Emirates Stadium:
“Mikel Arteta has called on Arsenal fans to be ready for the lunchtime kick-off against Bournemouth.
“There were times this season when they were nervous and nervous, but you can’t put that label on them now. They were ready, but unfortunately the players weren’t.
“They lacked tempo, intensity and rhythm against a fantastic Bournemouth team.
“Three or four times in the first half, Ben White took a while to take his throw-ins and the fans encouraged him to move the ball faster. As Arsenal continued to maintain possession, the ball kept coming back to David Raya and his open play xG was just 0.19.”
“This is nothing new for Arsenal in recent weeks, as it was against Man City in the Carabao Cup final and against Southampton, where the Gunners were eliminated from the FA Cup. “Without any future threat, the Gunners are not afraid of their opponents.”
“Negotiations over a new contract with Arteta have been a hot topic this week. He must now prove his worth by finding a way to get Arsenal’s underachieving attack back on track. If he doesn’t, his chances of winning the Premier League for the first time in 22 years will be dashed once again.”
Arsenal’s remaining Premier League games…
April 19: Man City (a) – live on Sky Sports April 25: Newcastle (h) – live on Sky Sports May 2: Fulham (h) – live on Sky Sports May 10: West Ham (a) – live on Sky Sports May 17: Burnley (h) May 24: Crystal Palace (a)
