Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat at residence to Bournemouth on Saturday afternoon “created quite a lot of anger, frustration, rage, disappointment”, however pledged to channel these feelings into subsequent week’s Champions League semi-final in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain.
Arsenal took a first-half lead in opposition to the Cherries solely to drop factors for the fourth time over their earlier 5 Premier League matches. A pair of set-piece targets proved to be the Gunners’ undoing as Dean Huijsen – a high switch goal for the hosts – headed Bournemouth stage earlier than Evanilson bundled in a Seventy fifth-minute winner.
The north London outfit have been already deflated by a convincing 1-0 defeat at residence to PSG within the first leg of their Champions League semi-final final Tuesday. “It did not create the fitting momentum,” Arteta admitted this weekend. “It created quite a lot of anger, frustration, rage, disappointment.”
But, as Arsenal put together for the decisive tie within the French capital subsequent week, Arteta tried to seek for a constructive amid this spring implosion. “Let’s use all of that on Wednesday,” the Spanish boss pleaded. “That is what we’ve got to do.”
Arteta’s skipper Martin Odegaard wasn’t fairly so optimistic. “Large disappointment,” the Norwegian captain fumed post-game. “I believe we began the sport fairly properly. We obtained the objective and felt like we managed just about all the pieces, however they rating and we lose management of the sport.
“We by no means discover the rhythm after that, it’s too chaotic and too sloppy from us. The second half shouldn’t be acceptable. Now we have to maneuver on as we’ve got a large recreation arising. Now we have to prepare for that and analyse this recreation as properly.”
Not like Arsenal’s latest setbacks in opposition to the likes of Everton, Brentford and Crystal Palace, the dropped factors could not be blamed on a weakened squad. Arteta successfully chosen his first-choice XI for the go to of Bournemouth, solely making two modifications from the lineup which began in opposition to PSG in midweek.
The raging tactician might ponder just a few extra tweaks if he’s to maintain Arsenal’s dream of continental glory alive subsequent week.