Mikel Arteta is concerned that his Arsenal team may be facing a mental barrier when it comes to scoring and has urged them to start fresh following their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday.
For the first 60 minutes, Arsenal was in control of the game and missed several opportunities, especially in the first half. However, Liverpool managed to catch up in the end with goals from a Jakub Kiwior own goal and Luis Díaz.
In their recent matches, Arsenal has only been victorious once out of seven games in all competitions. This marks their third consecutive loss, following their defeats against West Ham and Fulham in the Premier League.
“It is likely,” stated Arteta, in response to being asked if the failure to convert chances was starting to affect the players mentally. “Especially after today, even more so than against Fulham or West Ham in previous matches. That is why I believe we must reset.”
“It’s quite challenging, but my concern would be greater if the team was consistently performing poorly and not deserving of winning football matches. As someone who values winning, I am worried because we still have a lot of games to win. The key aspect that needs to be addressed is our mindset.”
Jurgen Klopp expressed his joy in moving forward, especially since he was missing key players such as the unwell Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, who is participating in the Africa Cup of Nations. He praised his team for their determination. However, it was Arteta who had more memorable quotes after the match, particularly when he questioned Arsenal’s capability to sign a new striker in January. Some fans believe this is the only solution to their current problems.
Currently, it doesn’t seem feasible,” stated Arteta. “My role is to enhance our players and strive for better outcomes with the existing team.”
“I have not witnessed another team in the past half year that has achieved the same results as our team against Liverpool in the previous two matches, including our 1-1 league match at Anfield on December 23rd. Unfortunately, we have not taken full advantage of these opportunities, not just in today’s game but also in recent matches.”
“In terms of merit, there is no doubt that we deserve to emerge victorious in the games. However, the outcomes have been quite disparate. Despite this, I cannot help but stand by and encourage my team when they display such bravery and determination, even when facing the current top-performing team in Europe.”
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Arteta stated that Gabriel Jesus was absent due to a knee issue discovered in scans. He expressed hope that it is not a significant problem, but noted that it is the same knee that previously had an injury, so precautions were necessary.
Arteta was questioned about how Jesus’s injury may have impacted his thoughts on potential moves in the January transfer window. He responded by saying that there is a difference between what is necessary and what is possible. Right now, the focus should be on supporting the players and showing them love.
Source: theguardian.com
