Coach Arteta: 'Winning the championship right now is unthinkable'

Coach Mikel Arteta admitted that Arsenal had lost hope of winning the Premier League after losing 0-3 to Brighton in round 36 on the evening of May 15.

"A week ago I was standing here feeling proud. But today we have to apologise for the performance in the second half," Arteta said after the match at the Emirates Stadium. "This result is unacceptable. In theory it could have happened. But after today, thinking about winning the title is impossible."

Arsenal were the better side in the first half yesterday, but Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka failed to convert their chances into goals. In the second half, the home team surprisingly let Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan score consecutively.

The 0-3 defeat has left Arsenal with little hope of toppling Man City. They are currently second with 81 points, four points behind Man City and have played one game more. The Manchester club will defend their title if they beat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in the next round on May 21.

Arteta and Arsenal players were disappointed after losing to Brighton at Emirates in round 36 of the Premier League on May 14. Photo: Sunsport — Arteta and Arsenal players were disappointed after losing to Brighton at Emirates in round 36 of the Premier League on May 14. Photo: *Sunsport*

Arteta said the first half was very tense, Brighton actively committed many fouls to disrupt Arsenal's rhythm and regretted the missed opportunities. The Spanish coach admitted that his players were at a disadvantage in the one-on-one battles, conceded bad goals, showed no resistance in the second half and it took many days to "digest" this defeat.

Controversy arose over Brighton’s opening goal, when Jakub Kiwior – who was marking Enciso – was stamped on by Evan Ferguson and fell to the ground. However, referee Andrew Madley did not blow the whistle and the VAR team did not intervene. Arteta refused to comment on the incident and took responsibility for Arsenal’s defeat.

Arsenal have conceded 23 goals at home in the Premier League this season. Only in the 2019-20 campaign, when they conceded 24 goals, have the Gunners conceded more in a single season since moving to the Emirates. When asked about the reasons for this statistic, Arteta said: "A lot of different factors. When you watch today's game, Arsenal conceded too easily."

Undav scored Brighton's second goal in a 3-0 win over Arsenal on May 14. Photo: Reuters — Undav scored Brighton's second goal in a 3-0 win over Arsenal on May 14. Photo: *Reuters*

Sharing the same view as the Spanish coach, captain Martin Odegaard admitted that Man City will not "make mistakes" in the remaining matches, and the championship race is over. The Norwegian midfielder was disappointed when Arsenal dropped points in five matches in the final stage and set the goal of ending the season in the best possible way. In the remaining two rounds, the "Gunners" will visit Nottingham Forest on May 20 and host Wolves at Emirates Stadium on May 28.

Hong Duy

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