Mikel Arteta Rallies Arsenal After Painful Loss to Aston Villa in Premier League Title Race

Sunday brought about a dramatic turn of events in the Premier League title race, with Manchester City emerging as the beneficiaries following defeats suffered by both Liverpool and Arsenal.

By: Anna Ciao

04/15/2024 02:31

Following a "painful" defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday, Mikel Arteta has rallied his Arsenal side. Late goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins secured the win for Villa, marking the Gunners' first Premier League loss since their defeat to Fulham on New Year’s Eve, while also bolstering Villa’s UEFA Champions League aspirations.

"We're obviously very disappointed with the result, especially with the way we have been performing,” Arteta told BBC Sport.

“The first half was one of the best halves we have played this season against a top team.

“In the second half, the game changes, we struggle to gain momentum, we struggle to get the ball into certain areas and we were very sloppy with the ball, and the game was there with not much happening.

“A few corners for them and then we concede a very poor goal and then, on top of that, we were chasing it and then we concede another one and it was a painful loss.”

Mikel Arteta was asked if the loss to Aston Villa affects their Premier League title hopes pic.twitter.com/wLtiS2gKpM
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 14, 2024

Despite the result, Arteta expressed satisfaction with many aspects of Arsenal’s performance. He emphasized the need for a swift recovery and directed the team's focus towards the next challenge.

"I think we played much better than we did against Brighton in the first half. Much better. I think we should have scored three, four, five goals in the first half and that would have been a very different game,” he explained.

“That's not the case and we have to accept that and we have to praise the opponent, they beat us and we have to move. It is about reacting now.

"For sure, because we had the momentum and we were the better team on the pitch, but you have to play for 96-98 minutes and we haven't managed to maintain that level in the second half, and that is down to us and we have to improve.”

The next days for Arsenal:

Bayern Munich (A)
Wolves (A)
Spurs (A)

How many wins will Mikel Arteta's side get? pic.twitter.com/49jxVLeqkA
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 14, 2024

Manchester City emerged as the day's victors without even stepping onto the pitch, courtesy of their resounding 5-1 triumph over Luton Town on Saturday. This victory, combined with the outcomes of other matches, including Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, propels Pep Guardiola's side to the top of the table, now leading by two points.

Looking ahead, Arsenal is set to confront Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, following their 2-2 draw at the Emirates on Tuesday. Subsequently, they will resume their domestic campaign with an encounter against Wolverhampton Wanderers next Saturday. Addressing the pressing nature of their upcoming fixtures, Arteta acknowledged the imperative to secure victories, stating, "We all know that the impact is now. How you react to that, there was always going to be a bump in the road."

“We won 10, drew one. Unbelievable, everybody is on board. Win, win, win, win, win, win, win, win - everybody is happy. Very easy to maintain momentum and be on top of that.

"It is now after that defeat, how you show you character and your leadership and going to Munich, we have a beautiful opportunity to do that."

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Written by: Anna Ciao

Anna Ciao is a sports content contributor at Betimate. Born and raised in a rural village in China, I have had a passion for football and various sports such as basketball, volleyball, badminton, from a young age. Along with diligent studies, I achieved an IELTS score of 8.0 in the English language, and I have become a content contributor specializing in sports, particularly football, as I am today. I hope that my articles are helpful to readers.

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