Arteta Reflects on Arsenal’s Dominance and Disappointment After Chelsea Draw

Following Arsenal’s draw against Chelsea, manager Mikel Arteta shared his thoughts with BBC Sport, stating, “I am very disappointed but very proud as well with what I have seen from the team again.” He expressed regret over the manner in which his team conceded, particularly after scoring the initial goal, which he described as “the most difficult one.” Arteta criticized the team’s defensive performance, noting, “The standards and our defensive habits were nowhere near. They have quality and if you give them space they are going to punish you.” Arteta praised the team’s response, describing it as “fabulous with the desire to win, show initiative, take risks and be so dominant,” but lamented their inability to secure the winning goal. He contrasted Arsenal’s performance with Chelsea’s usual home record, remarking, “They destroy every team that comes here in every way but I thought we were superb. We were very unlucky.” He concluded by highlighting the disparity between their performance and the outcome: “We have dominated one of the best teams in Europe but we don’t get the results. That is what is missing.” Addressing the issue of player fitness, Arteta noted that “We are still missing a lot and some of the guys out there are not in the best condition.” He emphasized the importance of players being “fit and available and the physical condition to play at this level,” a state he feels the team has lacked. He described the situation as “patch, after patch, after patch – a lot of players starting and not in the condition to finish games,” expressing his hope for improved fitness levels.