Arteta: Arsenal very unlucky but we can’t feel sorry for ourselves

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the team would be doing far better if they had more luck.

The Gunners have been in dire form in the Premier League this season, winning just one of their last 10 games in the competition.

They lost 2-1 to Everton on Saturday night to a Rob Holding own goal and a Yerry Mina strike.

Nicolas Pepe scored Arsenal’s only goal at Goodison Park as they suffered their eighth defeat in 14 matches and remained in 15th position, their lowest league position going into Christmas since Arsene Wenger took charge in 1996.

However, Arteta insists Arsenal’s position is not a true reflection of their performances.

“Obviously it’s a really complicated situation, but I am very encouraged from what I see from the players to continue doing what we are trying to do,” the Spaniard said during his post-match press conference.

“We think that of course we have to improve, but I think we’ve been very, very unlucky not to pick up many, many more points.”

Arteta claimed that his side performed really well on Saturday night despite the defeat.

“We controlled them really well, the counter-attacks, apart from a few moments where we lost the ball inside, which is impossible to control,” he noted.

“Then we started to look more and more dangerous in the final third, attacking this low block in front is complicated and we generated a lot of situations but they didn’t end up in big chances.

“Sometimes the cross, sometimes the last action or the shot and the conversion rate has been really low and is something that we must improve dramatically. And then, when we need a little bit of luck, we hit the post or we have some big chances and we don’t put them away. At the end, the reflection is a little bit similar to the last few weeks. You are better than the opponent, you dominate the game and usually when you are under this pressure and this position in the table, you get battered by teams.

“It’s not the case. I see the spirit in the team and how they try and how they are willing to do things the right way and I’m gutted for them as well because they needed a result and I think we played a game that we had to get something out of.”

Arsenal have just 14 points from 14 Premier League games and are just four points off the relegation places. Arteta admits that he is worried.

He said: “Well, the season highlights at the moment the situation we are in in the Premier League. We’ve done really well in Europe, really good in the cups and we are struggling to get results in the Premier League.

“Again, when we analyse every game, the reasons why we are losing football matches, compared to other teams winning them, the margins are small. But we need those margins very quickly before the situation gets impossible to handle.”

Striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was left out of the defeat at Everton due to injury and Arteta provided an update.

“We want him back as quickly as possible,: he said. “He has a small strain and he will need a few days. I don’t know if it’s a week or two weeks, it will depend how the injury evolves.”

There have been calls from a section of the Arsenal fanbase for Arteta to be sacked but the 38-year-old apparently is not giving up just yet.

“I understand that. My energy and my focus is only on getting the team out of that situation, maintaining the spirit on the team and the fight the boys showed every time they go on the pitch,” the former Arsenal midfielder said.

“You can see that, you cannot deny that. Obviously, again, the results – there is no question about that, it’s not good enough and it’s not acceptable for the standards of this football club and this is the challenge and the fight that we are against.”

Arsenal’s next fixture is in the Carabao Cup where they face holders Manchester City on Tuesday night. After that, the Gunners are up against Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday.
Arteta wants to focus on those fixtures and avoid a pity party.

“We cannot feel sorry for ourselves,” he told Arsenal.com. “We are losing football matches because of us, nothing to do with the opponent.

“Against Burnley we lost the game without conceding any shots on target, believe it or not, and today again you can see how the team tried and how they tried to play with our limitations, but they always try and fight, and I cannot fault that at all from the players.”