MIKEL ARTETA BLAMES FAILURE TO CLEAR BALL FOR ASTON VILLA'S LATE GOAL
Unai Emery's Aston Villa secured a huge 2-1 win over Arsenal, fueling title talk. Arteta slams his team's inability to clear the ball before the late winner.
A frustrated Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, pointed to his team's failure to clear the ball right before Aston Villa scored a late, surprising goal. The Gunners missed their chance to widen their lead in the Premier League, losing 2-1 in a dramatic match at Villa Park.
Matty Cash put the home team ahead in the first half, but Leandro Trossard equalised after coming off the bench. Instead of building on that, the home side put on the pressure, with Emi Buendia scoring the winning goal in added time.
The goal set off huge celebrations, as Unai Emery's team is now only three points from the top, very much in the title conversation. Arteta was upset that his players didn't clear the ball after a long pass from Emi Martinez led to the scramble that resulted in the winning goal.
"We started the second half really well," he told TNT Sports. We were very much in charge, but then we had the same old problems. We gave the other team too much space. We gave the ball away, which almost cost us the game before it did.
Long goal kick, second ball...just clear it. Individual mistakes and too much going on in the box, and we end up losing. It hurts.
This is only Arsenal's second loss of the season, ending their long run without a loss in all competitions since they lost to Liverpool in August.
Arteta added, "Every game will be tough." We've gone 18 games without losing, and the margins are very small. We need to focus on ourselves, and some of our usual standards weren't there today. We need to get back to it.
Our consistency has been amazing, considering everything that's happened to us. I have no reason to think otherwise.
Meanwhile, Emery was thrilled as Villa, who had a bad start to the season, secured their seventh straight win in all competitions. He said, “I’m so happy. We played this week the way we needed to—competing, pushing ourselves, adjusting to the other team, and playing with confidence.
We were in charge at times and got into the box, being intense and aggressive when we needed to. Villa Park is special, and the fans give us energy. Their response was fantastic.
“We're going to take it one game at a time. We know we need to focus on each competition. We want to do well in the Europa League, but the Premier League is our main focus. We need to respond like we did today.”
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
