Bukayo Saka has issued a rallying cry to his Arsenal team-mates after they slipped seven points off the pace in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Newcastle at St James’ Park in Saturday’s early kick-off, and although Manchester City were surprisingly beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth, Liverpool ’s 2-1 comeback over Brighton moved them clear at the top of the table. Arsenal have now gone three league matches without a win following the loss at Bournemouth and draw against Liverpool.
Newcastle had gone five league games without a win but took the lead through Alexander Isak’s thumping header from Anthony Gordon’s cross. The best chances to equalise fell to Declan Rice, but Arsenal managed just one shot on target in the entire match, with the absence of captain Martin Odegaard keenly felt.
Saka is leading the side with Odegaard sidelined by injury and he has issued a clear message. “We stick together!” he wrote on Instagram. Manager Mikel Arteta is refusing to look at the bigger picture, despite the fact his side could slip to sixth place if Aston Villa and Chelsea win on Sunday.
Asked about his side’s position in the title race, Arteta replied: “I understand that, but after eight, nine or 10 games last year we didn’t [talk about it] and we won’t talk about it now. It’s about how you react to that. We’re not going to find the right words or answers to describe how we feel. We have to put it on that field on Wednesday night against Inter.”
Pressed further, he added: “It’s not about the hope of winning the title, it’s about being our best selves every single week. Today we weren’t our best version.”
Arteta also dismissed the idea that Arsenal are failing to implement the game plan due to the pressure of another title race. “I didn’t feel that,” he said. “I think I would have felt it at the beginning of the game. I didn’t have that feeling. What I did feel was that when we fell behind it we lacked threat and more capacity to go and hurt them.
“We weren’t consistent enough and when we gave the ball away we were in transition and allowed them to run or sustain attacks. I think we gave 17 or 18 free-kicks which stops the game constantly and that was not a good outcome for us.”
Former Gunners captain Martin Keown is concerned by what he’s seen of late. “There is still a long way to go in the season but it is a long way back for Arsenal now,” he said on BBC’s Final Score.
“They only have themselves to blame for that. They have kept pace with City for the last two seasons but they just were not at the races. It is going to be a difficult dressing room. Arsenal didn’t turn up, didn’t play like champions and they are now nursing their wounds.”
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