Arteta Issues Warning to Arsenal Players Following Defeat to Brighton

Mikel Arteta has warned Arsenal players about their second-half performance in Sunday’s loss to Brighton.

The Gunners needed a win at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to keep pace with treble-chasing Manchester City atop the Premier League table, but were soundly defeated 3-0 by Brighton.

Following an evenly contested first half, Arsenal were put to the sword by Roberto De Zerbi’s side in the second half, allowing three goals and being outplayed.

Arteta was quick to warn his players after the game that such a performance in such a high-pressure game would not be repeated.

“You cannot do what we did in the second half,” he said. “If the team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage there are a lot of things we have to think about and analyse.”

Man City can win the Premier League title next weekend if they beat a dreadful Chelsea team.

Sky Sports questioned Arteta if the title race was ended, and he said, “Mathematically, it’s still possible.”

“But it’s impossible to think about it today.” We need to evaluate the second-half outcome and performance, learn why, and respond differently.”

Midfielder Martin Odegaard also confessed that there is ‘no prospect’ of returning to the top of the standings this season, and that the club has accepted defeat in the title chase.

City might be crowned champions on Saturday night if Arsenal lose at Nottingham Forest, with the gap between the top two currently four points and Pep Guardiola’s side having a game in hand on the Gunners, who have lost five of their previous seven.

“A very different feeling than we all had last Sunday (in Newcastle), when we felt proud and like we did everything we needed to win in certain moments.” Today is the polar opposite,” Arteta stated.

“We have to apologise to our people, especially for the second half. What I have to accept first is what happened in the second half and digest it.

“After that until it’s mathematically over… the second position is secure. That’s not going to change. We have to digest and that will take a few days.

“At the moment it’s just frustration. The feeling that we gave the game away in the second half. We fought really hard to be in the position that we are in and today we were in a critical moment to keeping hoping and digging for that dream.

“When you have to play in these moments you cannot do what we did in the second half.

“Then we have to look. If a team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage, there’s a lot of things to analyse and think about because it cannot happen.”