'We dropped our standards': Mikel Arteta critical of Arsenal players as he explains factors behind 13th draw

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·23 April 2025

'We dropped our standards': Mikel Arteta critical of Arsenal players as he explains factors behind 13th draw

The Gunners have now drawn 13 games in the Premier League after being pegged back twice against Crystal Palace

Mikel Arteta was disappointed with his Arsenal side as they drew 2-2 at home against Crystal Palace

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta criticised his side’s performance against Crystal Palace and accused them of dropping their standards.

The Gunners were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Crystal Palace after Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a late equaliser.

Palace striker Mateta capitalised on a sloppy pass from William Saliba to lob David Raya and secure a point that means Liverpool will be crowned Premier League champions on Sunday if they draw with Tottenham.

Arteta was disappointed with the way Arsenal played in what was their final game before they host Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.

Arsenal allowed Palace to have 15 shots on goal and the visitors also chalked up an xG of 1.75, which as better than the Gunners.

“We dropped our standards today and credit to Crystal Palace,” said Arteta. “We struggled to find consistency in the game.

“We gave the ball away in simply ways and we were late in everything we did. I am disappointed.

“We have spoke about avoiding our focus being elsewhere. We have enough time to prepare for PSG but today we didn’t deliver enough rights to win the game.”

“[I am] disappointed with the results and with the performance as well. I think we never got the consistency in many areas to completely dominate the game.

“We always had the feeling that yeah, we had the ball, we had possession, we went in front twice, but the game wasn’t grabbed, it wasn’t dominated and controlled in the way that we normally do because we were below the standards in some areas.

“When you are not at your best but you are two times ahead, you have to be able to see the game off, and we weren’t able to do it, especially with what happened in the second goal.”

Dejected: Gabriel Martinelli

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The draw was Arsenal’s 13th in the Premier League this season and nine of those have come when they have been leading.

It is the most by a team in a season since Tottenham during the 2007-08 campaign and Arteta believes there are a lot of factors behind that.

“Well, we haven’t been able to see the games off for many reasons, and the margins have been too small,” said Arteta.

“Sometimes that’s when I credit to the opposition, it’s true that we played five times with ten men.

“There are a lot of factors, but obviously it’s something that we’ve done much better in the past, especially when we’ve been ahead in games, and today, without really much happening, especially in the second half, we have to be able to see the game off.”