Arteta sent message to stars feeling sorry for themselves after win vs Liverpool

04 February 2024 , 19:54

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Arteta sent message to stars feeling sorry for themselves after win vs Liverpool

Mikel Arteta told his Arsenal stars at half-time not to feel sorry for themselves for throwing away their lead against Liverpool.

The Gunners were 1-0 up and cruising after Bukayo Saka found the back of the net at the Emirates but a mistake from William Saliba and David Raya saw the ball bounce over the line via Gabriel's hand to draw the game level just before the break.

Arteta admits his players were disappointed with the "painful" way in which they conceded, but he demanded they shake off the frustration before returning to the pitch otherwise Liverpool would have capitalised on the situation.

Arteta said on Sky Sports after Arsenal's 3-1 victory over Liverpool: "Especially with the performance we had in the first half and the chances we created, the way we conceded was painful. We could not feel sorry for ourselves, we needed to react and there was a lot to play for and we went out and suffered a bit.

"They were attacking open spaces and that is a bad thing to concede against them. They changed their shape and we had to bring a player inside. Basically, the message was there wads going to be difficult moments and we had to navigate through them moments. We was ruthless when we had a chance and it feels like a big win."

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The Gunners boss was full of praise for the Reds, though, adding: "At the moment they are probably the best team in Europe and the levels they have, they are in incredible team. We have come so far and now it is about doing it consistently. Liverpool have done it for six to seven years."

And he even went as far as to say the victory puts his Arsenal side in a good position in the title race. He said: "It gives us momentum and the way we have done it we are back on it - really excited."

Jake Polden