Arteta's touchline actions told the story as Arsenal's title hopes dented again
As per usual, Mikel Arteta kicked every ball from his technical area during the against Southampton.
How he wished just one more would have gone in after his team were held to a damaging 3-3 draw.
Of course, the Arsenal manager told the media that he still harbours belief that his side can lift the title, but even he must know deep down it's all but over. Manchester City's might appears to have initimidate the Gunners into surrendering before the two even meet on Wednesday night.
He was asked whether he viewed the trip to the Etihad, but remained measured as Arteta told the BBC that the games that follow the clash against City will be just as defining.
"It is not a final because there are still six games to go. The concern is turning around these moments especially if the players in some moments are in doubt.
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"In football you go through moments when you make errors and are not in a good moment but you have to come away from that."
Arteta opted to use his post-match media duties as a chance to remind his players how strongly he feels about them.
"They want it so much," he confessed. "I cannot love them any more, it is a joy to coach them and be a part of this club."
"Normally, players start to hide, I didn't see a single player doing that."
Mikel Arteta demanded calm from his players (Getty Images)HAVE Y OUR SAY! Are Arsenal's title hopes now over? Comment below
The Gunners boss is famed for his passion and has even caught criticism for the way he conducts himself on the touchline in the past, but he was his normal self when his side welcomed the Saints on Friday night. He could barely believe what he was witnessing for the first quarter of an hour.
The hosts found themselves 2-0 down to the side bottom of the league after an Aaron Ramsdale error and some woeful defending was punished by Carlos Alcaraz and Theo Walcott respectively.
Gabriel Martinelli soon halved the deficit with a measured volley and Arteta let out a fierce roar that was part-celebration part-relief. The goalscorer followed suit, frantically waving his arms in the air to keep the crowd alive.
Arteta's most 'Arteta' moment actually came just shy of the hour mark following a tame Fabio Vieira cross-come-shot. The Gunners manager could clearly sense the frustration after it ended up in the hands of Gavin Bazunu and immediately turned to the crowd to fire them up.
It was clearly a case of do as I say, not do as I do from the Spaniard, as just minutes later he could be seen urging his players to be calm after a few overhit passes.
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The call for calm went ignored, as Duje Caleta-Car headed home a third for Southampton to all but end Arsenal dreams. The celebrations from the away end were all that could be heard as Gunners hearts were left broken.
All the Arsenal boss could do was look to the heavens and hope for a miracle. But unlike Aston Villa, unlike Bournemouth, this time it didn't come.
Arteta was left looking up at the heavens for some kind of miracle (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
The Arsenal boss was still delighted with his players effort levels (Julian Finney/Getty Images)But by gosh was it close. 3-1 down in the 88th minute, goals from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka handed the hosts a whole load of hope. They huffed and they puffed, but not even the introduction of Reiss Nelson could inspire another late winner.
For all of his pent-up passion, rarely did Arteta lose his cool with the officials. That was until Bazunu's time-wasting tactics became too much for to bear.
But that only masked his true frustration, which was aimed at his players profligate finishing. Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, even Bukayo Saka were all guilty of at some point, Arteta turned away from the pitch in an attempt to mask his pain each time.
If Jesus' finishing hurt Arteta, then Thomas Partey's wayward strike from distance must have been agonising. The Arsenal boss put his head and his hands and screamed at the floor, along with the rest of the Emirates.
For large portions of the second-half, the angry outbursts were replaced by long, distant gazes.
What that truly means only the Arsenal boss will know, but it certainly doesn't bode well ahead of Wednesday's showdown with mentor Pep Guardiola.
The master would have been watching his student on Friday night and he'll be relishing their meeting next week.
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