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Arsenal had been outclassed up to that point, but managed to hold out the rest of the game to secure a point, although their coach was visibly angry at how Pepe had left his teammates in a difficult position.
“It is unacceptable,” Arteta said, adding that the Ivory Coast international had “let down” his teammates.
The Spaniard’s mood was not helped by a muscle injury to Willian that forced the Brazilian to withdraw at half-time, while substitute Bukayo Saka fared worse in a challenge at the end and limped away.
Although they were able to thwart a spendthrift Leeds, Arsenal offered little going forward and have only scored once in their most recent five Premier League matches.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was largely isolated after having a rare opportunity in a central role up front, with Alexandre Lacazette falling to the bench when the Gunners only had two shots on target Sunday afternoon.
“The fact that we need to score more goals is a concern,” Arteta said. “We need goals and many goals to win football matches to be the best team we want to be. Without that it is impossible.
“It doesn’t matter how defensive we are. It’s not the lack of attacking players that we have or attacking players that we are putting on the field, but we need times when we have to make better decisions and be more ruthless.
“But it’s the hardest thing in football and sometimes we go through these patches and we have to overcome. I have to help the players overcome and do it as quickly as possible.”
While Arteta wasn’t satisfied with leaving West Yorkshire with just one point, he was able to take some positives.
“We have to take a point considering the circumstances,” he added. “I am never satisfied with a point, but we know the challenge that we faced in the second half for 40 minutes in the second half with 10 men.
“The way we reacted and the resistance we showed, the effort that all the players put in to try to overcome that advantage was phenomenal.”
Leeds had 25 attempts at goal, 13 in the first half and 12 after the break, but only four hit home on a day when Rodrigo, Patrick Bamford and Raphinha, gave their first start with the club, hit the White.
Marcelo Bielsa regretted the inability to capitalize on his opportunities, but when told that it is a sign of how far Leeds have come that a draw with Arsenal is seen as disappointing, the manager said: “Maybe it’s like you say.”
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