Mikel Arteta described his Arsenal team as “unacceptable” and “nowhere near” the standards of the club in the first 20 minutes of their 2-2 draw at Liverpool.
Days after being knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals, Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down to the Premier League champions after Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz scored in the space of 87 seconds midway through the first half.
The Gunners recovered through second half goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino – the latter seeing a red card to create a nervous ending. Arsenal could have won it late on through Martin Odegaard’s late chance, while Liverpool saw an Andy Robertson late winner ruled out for a foul.
But asked if he was proud of his team’s resilience, Arteta appeared fed up.
“No, because what we did in the first half, the first 20 minutes was nowhere near the level,” said Arteta to Sky Sports after the game.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Liverpool’s draw against Arsenal in the Premier League.
“So to do it after, it’s too late. We reacted, great. But the standards within those 20 minutes were unacceptable.
“It’s about action, not reaction.”
Asked if the loss to Paris Saint-Germain in Europe just days ago had an impact on his team, Arteta remained bullish: “Then you don’t have to be fighting for trophies.
“Because when you fight for trophies, you might win it or lose it, but then there’s another one [match] and another one.
“So that’s the level we have to assess ourselves. If not, you just accept things. For me, not acceptable.”
‘It’s not about winning – it’s about the basics’
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Prior to the match between the two sides, Arsenal give Premier League champions Liverpool a guard of honour.
The draw means Arsenal stay 15 points behind champions Liverpool. If the season ended tomorrow, it would be the fourth-biggest margin between first and second in the Premier League history.
But Arteta said the standards he is talking about has nothing to do with winning, it is about “doing the basics”.
“It’s not about winning,” Arteta said. “Nobody can promise that you win. You have six or seven teams praying to be in the Champions League first, and then see if we can win silverware next season. That’s it, it’s not about that.
“It’s about doing the basics, the simple things where you can dominate. I’m not asking people to dribble past two players and put it in the top corner. Never going to do that.”
Asked if the players are responsible or if he is to blame, Arteta admitted it was his responsibility. But he added that even with a player sent off, his team could compete. Therefore, there are no excuses for being this far behind.
“The action that we had after those 20 to 25 minutes, then the second half, that’s what I’m [asking for],” he said.
“But me? It’s them. It’s not about me asking. It’s my responsibility when the team plays like this, it’s on us or me? The 20 minutes, that’s on me, for sure.
“It’s not about the players,” he added. “It’s about we. Here, players, managers, nobody accepts those standards. They were nowhere near.
“In the second half, with all the respect, with all the things: the position we are in, 15 points behind, it hurts. It has to hurt a lot.
“Regardless of all the excuses: this is the sixth time we’ve played with 10 men this season, all the injuries, half of starters not starting, look at what we can do when we’re there. That’s it.”
Carra’s reaction to angry Arteta
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Jamie Carragher discusses whether without Gabriel, William Saliba is as good as he is claimed to be.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher:
“He’s driving high standards but what really stood out in the interview, and in the last couple of weeks in his press conferences, is that he’s getting emotional and at times he’s sounding a little bit like a fan, not the manager.
“He was really strong on how many players they’ve had sent off this season. He’s putting his hands up, saying six. I think he’s convinced inside that they have been victims in some ways, with the sendings-off and injuries they have had.
“I think deep down he thinks they could have won the league without this and that. There’s no doubt they would be a lot closer but the sendings-off are down to you. They weren’t all sendings-off, but that can happen in a season.
“The injuries have hit them this season but they also played for them [in their favour] last season. What they have done in terms of competing Man City in the last two seasons is fantastic, but a lot of that was down to having the same eight or nine players week in, week out, and him never rotating.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher get in a heated debate on Arsenal’s progress under Mikel Arteta.
“I’m a massive fan of Mikel Arteta. The job he has done, to get Arsenal from where they were to here. They made the jump to competing with Man City and they followed it up again last season, and they’ve been the team that pushed Liverpool this season.
“But this season felt like it should have been their season. There’s no doubt next season the pressure will be on Arteta massively in terms of winning something and winning something big.
“If they don’t do that, the Arsenal board will have a massive issue, because they won’t want to change the manager, but there will be lots of people saying ‘five or six years without a trophy’ and they will be looking at how many managers can make that next step.
“The problem with changing Mikel Arteta is that Arsenal could easily become what Chelsea are now, a team finishing second year in year out, to a team not getting into the Champions League. That’s the big conundrum Arsenal will have in 12 months if Arsenal go close again but don’t get over the line.”