‘I’m very upset’: Mikel Arteta drops ‘unbelievable’ claim immediately after Liverpool draw | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta raised more than a few brows with his insistence that Arsenal had been the superior outfit to PSG in the Champions League.

The Gunners boss could, of course, be forgiven for emotionally unravelling in light of another season falling apart after showing so much initial promise.

An immediate reminder of their Londoners’ domestic failings with a trip to Premier League champions Liverpool would hardly have helped matters. Indeed, Liverpool fans made sure to dig the knife in with a hilarious caricature of Arteta ahead of the game.

Mikel Arteta furious with Arsenal start

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

If the Arsenal boss was hoping for a reaction from his side after a midweek defeat in Paris, he was to be left bitterly disappointed.

Arne Slot’s men proved the gap in quality in the title race in a two-minute salvo from Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo to go 2-0 up by the 21st minute.

To give credit where credit is due, the visitors did rally impeccably after the half-time break to secure a share of the spoils.

However, it wasn’t enough to spare Arsenal’s players from a post-match tongue-lashing.

“I’m very upset. We can draw and talk about reaction but I’m not into reaction, I am in action mode. What we did in the first 25 minutes was no way near the level,” Mikel Arteta told BBC Radio 5 Live (via BBC Sport).

“After PSG I accept we were the better team and deserved much more. It was unbelievable we were not through to the final.

“But today in the first 25 minutes we could have conceded three or four. After that yes, but then we went down to 10 men and still had three or four missing [with injury]. That is what we have to demand from ourselves.”

Big gap between Liverpool and Arsenal

As things currently stand, there is a chasm of points gap between Liverpool and second-placed Arsenal. 15 points, to be precise, separate the Premier League outfits.

Even Declan Rice acknowledged that the Gunners simply hadn’t been as consistent as the league champions. A distinct departure from Mikel Arteta’s distinctly flawed appraisal of this season’s title race.

Sofascore’s momentum chart supports the notion that the hosts were the superior outfit for much of the first 45. It’s just a shame that the first 25 of the second half were so appalling from Arne Slot’s men.

* Momentum chart for Liverpool vs Arsenal

Whilst we can accept Arteta’s excuse that Arsenal are still coping with injuries, there surely likewise has to be some understanding for a side with no further ambitions in the season.

Yes, there was the hope of securing a 90-plus point season. But this is a Liverpool side that has already secured the Premier League title.

A drop-off was always going to be inevitable for a team mentally in “party mode” ahead of the upcoming end-of-season celebrations.

The first half was a true reflection of Liverpool

Arsenal will take plenty of optimism going into the 2025/26 campaign after taking the game to the league winners at Anfield.

For Arne Slot, however, there was enough to go off from the first half, when Liverpool heads were firmly in the game, to suggest his side will be just as competitive next term.

* Stats courtesy of Sofascore

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