Mikel Arteta claims that Arsenal “lost purpose” against West Ham in crucial title deciding game
Arsenal players and manager devastated after their 2-2 draw against West Ham on Sunday.
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Arsenal players in utter sadness after yet another loss of points (Image Via- Google)
Arsenal players reportedly looked devastated at full-time after dropping points against West Ham United on Sunday. It was the second consecutive week that Arsenal had lost crucial points that could be a decisive factor for winning the Premier League this season. It seems that Mikel Arteta has a job on his hands to keep his team’s title challenge on track.
History repeated itself as Arsenal reportedly let another two-goal lead slip. And this resulted in the dropping of valuable points for the second week in a row. A 2-2 draw with West Ham on Sunday followed the same scoreline against Liverpool seven days earlier.
This seems to be a costly habit to pick up. Especially at a time when the wins are rolling in for second-place Manchester City. It all reportedly appears to be so easy for defending champion City. City recorded a 10th straight victory in all competitions by beating Leicester 3-1 on Saturday.
Arsenal’s form is falling apart. If back-to-back draws weren’t bad enough for manager Arteta, it is the nature of his team’s mini-meltdowns against Liverpool and West Ham which might be of most concern. On both occasions, Arsenal were cruising. But at the London Stadium, just like at Anfield, Arsenal unravelled when under pressure.
Talking about the current situation of his club, in the post-match interview, Arteta said, “My worry is after 2-0 that we made that huge mistake. And we did not understand what the game required in that moment. We need that ruthless mindset to go kill a team and today we haven’t done it.”
Gabriel Jesus and captain Martin Odegaard appeared to put Arsenal on course to move six points ahead of City. They both scored inside the first 10 minutes. That was until Said Benrahma’s penalty in the 33 minutes, which set up a fightback. And Jarrod Bowen equalized in the 54th. But Bukayo Saka missed a penalty which would have put Arsenal 3-1 ahead.
Even after dropping four points in two games, Arsenal remain four points clear of City having played a game more. But their lead over City were eight points less than a month ago.
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Arsenal hierarchy pauses Arteta’s contract renewal, to avoid distractions: Reports
Arsenal have put contract talks with manager Mikel Arteta on hold. According to the reports, the Gunners are eager to avoid any distractions in the title race.
Paris Saint-Germain are said to be monitoring the Spaniard. There remains uncertainty over the future of the current PSG boss Galtier. While president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has reportedly been impressed by Arteta’s work at Arsenal. Barcelona and Manchester City also have a long-term interest in the 41-year-old.
Arteta’s current contract, which he signed last season, is set to run until June 2025 and is worth £ 8.3 million a year. He has earned huge praise for the work that he has done at Arsenal. His team’s currently four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
In his first season in charge, Arteta guided Arsenal to FA Cup glory. Although there had been some difficult moments along the way. This included missing out on Champions League qualification last season. The way in which Arteta has got Arsenal to play with such flair and dynamism will surely be of interest to many other clubs. But Arsenal is determined to keep him at Emirates Stadium.
For now, however, Arsenal’s main focus is on the Premier League title race. They reportedly look to be crowned champions for the first time in 19 years.
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Supratim Banerjee
(312 Articles Published)