In the 20th round of the English Premier League, Arsenal fought Brighton away to a 1-1 draw. After the match, Arsenal coach Arteta faced the media, analyzed the whole match in detail and responded to a series of questions from reporters.
Talking about the details of the game, Arteta said bluntly, "Playing away from home is challenging. We started well, leading by one goal and shutting out our opponents in the first half. However, in the second half, we lost possession of the ball and made a lot of mistakes, which prevented us from creating an effective offense. Münter's quick attacking and defensive transitions hit us hard and the unfortunate penalty added insult to injury."
Arteta looked furious at the penalty call: "I've never seen such a ridiculous call in my career, I asked the players if they'd seen it and the answer was no. There was contact between Joao and Saliba, but the penalty was unbelievable."
Faced with a question about whether he expected the call to be overturned, Arteta responded, "Expected? It took them only three seconds to complete the check, which seemed too hasty. I did not get an explanation from the referee and I don't need one. It was just an extremely bad decision."
Speaking about Nwaneri's half-time substitution, Arteta explained, "He felt muscle discomfort, so we had to make adjustments. That was one of the things we had to deal with during the game."
On the team's overall performance, Arteta commented, "We played well on the defensive end, but there is still room for improvement in terms of ball control. We didn't create too many scoring chances and it was a game full of fireworks. We didn't play well enough to win, plus that disappointing penalty."
On whether his team deserved to win, Arteta said, "We did well on the defensive end, but we could have done better in possession. We didn't create many chances and it was a close match. We didn't play well enough to win the game, plus that disappointing penalty."
In addition, Arteta spoke about the team's injury and illness situation as well as potential reinforcements in the transfer market. He said, "Considering all the conditions, illnesses, injuries and the players we are missing, I think the team deserves credit. We can't make a judgment based on just one game or one day's performance, there are a lot of factors to consider here."
Finally, Arteta looked ahead, "We are aware of the limited manpower but will give it our best. I'm hopeful that our situation will improve on Tuesday and we'll give it our all to win our next game."
