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Publication date: Sunday, November 8, 2020 9:53 AM
Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal did not stick together as a team in their loss to Aston Villa, but he hopes he can learn from it.
Arsenal suffered their first loss in four games, and the fourth of the season so far, when Aston Villa won 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium.
It means Arsenal drop to 11th place in the Premier League table, three points behind the team they lost to. They have lost as many games as they have won in the league so far.
Arteta admitted that Villa deserved to beat them, taking the blame for the defeat.
“First of all congratulations to Aston Villa for the way they played and the victory,” he said. Sky sports.
“After that we performed below our standards and I have to say this is the first time I have seen us play and we weren’t a team.
“I take full responsibility. We did not start well enough, we went out with the VAR due to an offside situation but we lost all the runs, the duels and we were careless with the ball.
“When we create opportunities, we miss the target. It’s a really bad combination. We left spaces and at the counter we looked really vulnerable.
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“I take full responsibility. I am responsible for making the team perform on the pitch and today we were not a team and it is my job. That is why I am standing here.
“It is a frustration. It takes a lot to build momentum, to build a way of being, living and acting, and when something like that comes up, it’s hard to accept.
“But in a difficult moment you learn more than in a positive moment and I want to see how we react.”
Smith says ‘more to come’ from Villa
Meanwhile, Dean Smith said that a clean sheet has been critical to Aston Villa’s success on the road this season.
Having beaten Liverpool this season, the league champion, Villa claimed another impressive scalp by defeating Arsenal.
“It’s a really nice performance,” Smith said. Sky sports. “It has many facets.
“It was a good defensive change for the whole team. We cause them problems with some of our counterattacks.
“We didn’t want them to have a nice and easy game where they could spend it wherever they wanted. They are a good team. “
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