Mikel Arteta says he’s “praying” for Arsenal’s harm “nightmare” to finish as his aspect had been left 9 factors adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool after Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea.
The Gunners appeared heading in the right direction to finish a three-match winless streak within the league after Gabriel Martinelli transformed a high-quality cross from the returning Martin Odegaard on the hour mark.
Nonetheless, Arteta’s males had been pegged again simply 10 minutes later when Pedro Neto unleashed from vary earlier than Leandro Trossard didn’t convert William Saliba’s go from shut vary within the closing seconds of the match.
Trossard’s late miss noticed Arteta collapse onto the pitch, whereas the Spaniard was additionally left pondering a contemporary double harm blow after each Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka had been unable to finish the match. Arteta revealed the England duo are a doubt for the forthcoming worldwide break.
Odegaard’s first begin since September supplied Arsenal with a well timed increase, however their season has been derailed by a sequence of accidents and suspensions.
Talking after the rating draw at Stamford Bridge, which marked the primary time Arsenal have gone 4 matches and not using a win within the prime flight since April 2023, he stated: “There’s nothing that we will do about that.
“What I am praying for is that after the worldwide break we’ve the group totally bodily geared up, that they’re out there and that they’re match, as a result of, it has been a nightmare for eight weeks.
“Doubt after doubt, issue after issue, not only with the ones that are not able to play, but with the ones who are able to play.
“I’m disillusioned with the end result as a result of I feel we deserved extra. After scoring the primary objective, I am very disillusioned with how we conceded their objective. That is nowhere close to the requirements of our defensive habits, how we allowed it.
“The moment you give space and time, you’re going to get punished, so that’s not bad luck. Then the team showed its teeth. We created three big chances. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put the ball in the net, but we deserved to win it.”
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Highlights from the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal
Saka and Rice do not look excellent, says Arteta
Rice, who was a doubt heading into the fixture with a damaged toe, was changed after 71 minutes, whereas Saka was additionally withdrawn within the second interval following a sturdy deal with by Marc Cucurella.
“It doesn’t look good, because for two players of that importance to tell you they cannot continue in the game, obviously it’s not good news,” added Arteta.
Requested if he expects them to be out there for England’s Nations League matches in opposition to Greece and the Republic of Eire, Arteta replied: “Well, two players that just came off, I don’t know whether to expect them to be fit, because if not they don’t come off.”
‘Arsenal have to go on a run’
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
Highlights from the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal
Sky Sports activities’ Paul Merson:
“It’s hard for Arsenal. They have a bullseye on their back. They are a big team and everybody wants to beat them.
“I discover that their confidence is just a little bit low in the mean time. It wasn’t free-flowing in opposition to Chelsea and when your confidence goes, not everybody needs the ball. When they’re in full movement, all people is shifting. It is just like the purple arrows.
“Against Chelsea, when Partey, Rice and Odegaard had the ball, there wasn’t a lot of options. There aren’t five or six passes on.
“Arsenal should go on a run now. They’ve to search out some consistency. They will do it, they’ll reel off 5 or 6 wins on the spin and they will should do it to get again within the title combine.
“They will not be far away, [it was] a good performance in Milan, although they did not really look like scoring and it is a hard place to go and they were completely comfortable. Raya did not make any world-class saves.
“So it’s a begin, however as Arteta says, he has to get the gamers match now, they should go on a run and ensure it comes down to 6 factors earlier than it goes as much as 12 factors – if it will get to 12, it’s goodnight.”
