A rueful Mikel Arteta admitted he felt \u201cempty\u201d after watching Arsenal draw for a third game consecutively to hand Manchester City a shot in the arm in the title race ahead of Wednesday\u2019s top-of-the-table clash at the Etihad.<\/p>\n
The Gunners had been the league\u2019s heavy favorites heading into Friday night\u2019s clash with bottom-place relegation feeders Southampton but found themselves scaling a mountain instead from the get-go after conceding inside the first minute.<\/p>\n
The 14th minute saw the Saints extending their lead, boosted with a two-goal advantage past the hour mark despite Gabriel Martinelli\u2019s reducing the deficit in the first half, and it looked ominous that the Gunners would fall to a fourth defeat of the season.<\/p>\n
Yet amazingly they were able to crank things up a notch to mount a late comeback with two late goals to grab a point while also squandering two great opportunities to grab a match winner.<\/p>\n
When the helter skelter evening came to an end at Emirates Stadium, Arteta said at the press conference: \u201cAt the end, [I feel] empty obviously, because it was a very emotional game and I\u2019m disappointed because we didn\u2019t get the three points.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter all that happened in the game I still believe that we deserved it, but we have to look in the mirror because we gave three really easy goals away and when you do that it\u2019s extremely difficult to win in this league.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the manager felt compelled to criticize his side\u2019s terrible defending, he also reaffirmed how lucky he feels to coach them and praised their never say die attitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we win I give explanations. When we draw I try to give you the right explanation. Today is clear. You cannot concede three goals in the way that we did and expect to win games in the Premier League unless you make a miracle or a performance like we did in the last 15 minutes, then you still have the chance to win it.<\/p>\n
He went on: \u201cThey want it [the title] so much. For me personally, what I\u2019ve experienced with not only the players but the staff and our supporters, it was incredible and I know how difficult it is. After one minute we made a big mistake to concede and then we made another mistake and it was 2-0.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re trying to just play and play and play against a team that is doing what they have to do because of where they are, and after the first time they go past the halfway line they scored a third one and then it\u2019s a big question mark of what you do as a team and what you do as an individual.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe response of the players, I cannot love them more, honestly. It is a joy to coach them and it is a joy to be a part of this club and to experience what I have experienced with this team. At the end the magic moment was there to be taken, we had two big chances at 3-3 to score but today it didn\u2019t happen unfortunately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arteta\u2019s vital task now would be to wipe out the disappointment of the result and focus primarily on the next acid test \u2013 a do-or-die face-off with title rivals City. The Gunners haven\u2019t beaten the Blues in a Premier League encounter since 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see the lack of confidence when a team is able to do that [what we did tonight],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally the players start to hide in certain moments \u2013 I didn\u2019t see a single player do that, they were willing to take risks, to take the initiative.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we created the chances we created, that\u2019s why we got back to 3-3 from 3-1 and should have won the game. So, the confidence is there, it\u2019s those moments that we need to cut back.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this level, we cannot give away the goals that we have given. It\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"