Furious Mikel Arteta slams Arsenal players in fiery post-match interview
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not hold back in his assessment of his side’s sluggish start during their dramatic 2-2 draw with Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield.
Despite a spirited comeback with second-half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino earning the Gunners a hard-fought point, Arteta was visibly angry with his team’s first-half performance, describing the opening 20 minutes as “unacceptable.”
Liverpool raced into a two-goal lead through Cody Gakpo and Luis Díaz, exposing Arsenal’s defensive vulnerabilities and catching the visitors flat-footed—an apparent hangover from their midweek Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.
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Speaking after the match, Arteta did not mince words: “What we did in the first half, the first 20 minutes, was nowhere near the level. To do it after, it’s too late. We reacted—great. But those 20 minutes were unacceptable. It’s about action, not reaction.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)When asked if the Champions League disappointment had affected his players’ mindset, the Arsenal boss dismissed the suggestion outright: “Then you don’t have to be fighting for trophies. Because when you fight for trophies, you might win or lose, but then there’s another one, and another one. That’s the level we have to assess ourselves. If not, you just accept things. For me, that’s not acceptable.”
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He continued: “It’s not about winning. Nobody can promise that. They [Liverpool] cannot promise that either. You have six or seven teams praying just to be in the Champions League—and then we’ll see who can win silverware.”
Despite Arteta’s frustration, the second-half fightback demonstrated Arsenal’s resilience, with Martinelli giving them hope shortly after the break before Merino equalised. The Gunners finished the match with 10 men after Merino was sent off for a second yellow card late on.
Mikel Arteta will hope to return to winning ways in the Premier League next weekend with the Gunners welcoming third-placed Newcastle United.
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