Mikel Arteta apologizes to Arsenal fans after Liverpool defeat | Football news

Mikel Arteta apologized for Arsenal’s bland performance during Saturday’s 3-0 home loss to Liverpool, admitting that his players should have lost by a greater margin.

Manchester City’s victory at Leicester earlier in the day meant Liverpool’s hopes of retaining its title were mathematically terminated after a season of mixed performances, poor results and terrible injury problems.

But they returned to their prime at the Emirates Stadium when they dominated Arsenal and secured a 3-0 win thanks to a double by substitute Diogo Jota on either side of a Mohamed Salah goal.

Arteta said Sky sports: “We completely deserved to lose the game. They were better in every way and deserved to win the game with whatever margin they had, or even more. I accept responsibility for the way we play today.

“Liverpool totally deserved to win the game, probably by a higher margin. We were extremely poor. We apologize.

“They made the right decisions, we didn’t. It’s my fault. I have to prepare the team to perform in a different way and that’s it. Congratulations to Liverpool because it was exceptional today. That showed the difference between the two teams, that when They play at that level, the margin is incredibly high.

“I don’t have to use any excuses, we don’t have five or six players, the standards are much higher in this football club and I have to get them to perform at that level. He was also technical.

“We gave away all the balls and we couldn’t make three passes together. The basics weren’t there today. If you do that against this type of opponent, they punish you like we have.”

“Right now I’m in shock. I wasn’t expecting it because of the way the team coached. It’s a challenge. A challenge brings an opportunity. If you have courage and represent a club like this, you have to stand up.” get up and get it. “

Neville: Arsenal looked like fed lions

This was Mikel Arteta’s 50th Premier League match in charge of Arsenal and before the match he asked the Gunners to take the match to Liverpool, having won the corresponding match last year with a mixture of cunning, guts and luck. .

But with the injured quartet of David Luiz, Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe absent, Arteta admitted his team got what they deserved, and Gary Neville believes the Spaniard now has a clear idea of ​​what to do in the window. summer transfer. .

“I used the word shaky about Arsenal in the first half. But this turned into a really shaky performance that took me back a few years,” Neville said. Sky sports. “It’s the worst I’ve seen them in a while.

“Liverpool finally gave Arsenal what they deserved in the first half. They served it up in the second. The result tells Mikel Arteta what he already knew.”

“He had solved this a few months ago that the group of players that he had on the field were not combining to play the way he wanted. The defeat was just a confirmation of it.

“They got a little miserable after the second goal, they were all over the place. With 0-0 at half time, people may have thought I was being tough on them, but there was no urgency, there was no life, no plan and they were taking the easy option to pass.

“I look into those eyes of Arteta, and there will be an element of ferocity in them. Tonight, he will go home knowing what he has to do in the transfer window at the end of the season. Gabriel’s pass to Liverpool Third place It remained to say the least, Liverpool were in a brutal mood by then and Jota gobbled up the opportunity.

“I have no doubt from now on in the Premier League, Arteta will look for the younger players. He would have done it anyway if some of them were fit, but in the first half I described them as fed lions. He wants the hungry ones. .

“The fans will be disappointed, but the most disappointed person will be the coach. I was here for the game they beat Chelsea. There were a number of withdrawals before the game and we said it was a great opportunity for those young people. , but they grew and emerged.

“We saw a new Arsenal, but we saw the old Arsenal here tonight where it looked really bad. I didn’t like it at all from minute one. There has been a real lack of hunger.

“There has been a lack of rhythm and a lack of a plan, but when you carry too many who don’t want to do the job without the ball to the extent that the remaining four or five do, Arteta’s game plan. do will be compromised.

“He knows where he has to go and he just received confirmation. They were playing a good Liverpool, but he lacked confidence. He has not been able to exploit that at all.”

‘Arteta has credit in the bank, but this was a step backwards’

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Arsenal have only managed one win in their last 12 Premier League matches against Liverpool, while Arteta will now reflect on his half-century of Premier League matches as Gunners boss knowing that his predecessor Unai Emery (13) lost. four fewer games after his first 50 games of the competition.

So have Arsenal made any progress since Arteta’s appointment in December 2019?

“He has credit in the bank for winning the FA Cup,” said Jamie Redknapp. Sky sports. “But their performances since they won the cup haven’t been good enough. You can say ‘they didn’t have Saka, they didn’t have Smith Rowe, they didn’t have Xhaka playing today’ but they are ninth in the league. with they.

“This is not good enough for Arsenal. This is a team that wants to attract the best players next season. I know they have the Europa League to look forward to, but the way their team played tonight, Mikel has to do it. “. pick up your trust very fast.

“That today was like watching Arsenal six or seven months ago when they were really fighting and there was a lot of talk about Arteta losing his job. It was really poor.

“Arsenal fans have been educated in attacking football with players like Henry, Bergkamp, ​​Ljungberg, Pires, but right now they are probably watching that game from behind their couch. They don’t want to hear that their team defends better.

“They prefer to see their team go out and lose 4-3, but playing the right way. They have to be exciting to watch, as this is Arsenal.”

Whats Next?

Saturday April 10 2:30 pm

Start 3:00 pm

Arsenal now host Slavia Prague in their Europa League quarter-final first leg at 8pm on Thursday, before going to Sheffield United at 7pm on Sunday in the Premier League.

Liverpool will go to Real Madrid at 20:00 on Tuesday in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final and then host Aston Villa at 15:00 on Saturday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.