I’m very angry… says Arteta after West Ham defeat
What was billed as a pivotal weekend in the Premier League title race may not be over yet – but it is already shaping up to be a painful one for Arsenal’s “very angry” manager Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners went into Saturday’s game against West Ham knowing that victory, coupled with a defeat for Liverpool at Manchester City on Sunday, would leave them within touching distance of the Premier League leaders with a game in hand.
It was a huge opportunity for Arteta’s team, but one they failed to grasp as they delivered a toothless performance against a West Ham side they beat 5-2 at London Stadium back in November, managing only two shots on target in an eventual 1-0 defeat.
Jarrod Bowen’s first-half strike proved the difference, while the Gunners’ hopes of a late reprieve were dealt a major blow by Myles Lewis-Skelly’s dismissal 17 minutes from time
When asked about his team’s title prospects, Arteta replied: “It’s not in our hands.
“I’m really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands which is the performance and the result.
“We were nowhere near the levels that we have to hit to have the opportunity to win a Premier league. I’m very much responsible for that, so I’m very, very angry.”
Arteta’s sentiments were echoed by skipper Martin Odegaard, who said the Gunners “lacked efficiency” in the final third against Graham Potter’s team.
“It’s a big blow,” he told BBC Sport. “The performance today wasn’t good enough. We have to see the game back and analyse it, but it wasn’t good enough.”
The defeat was Arsenal’s first in 16 Premier League games, but with Liverpool on a 22-match unbeaten run of their own, Saturday’s loss may have caused irreparable damage to the Gunners’ title hopes.
Using their projection algorithm, data analysts Opta now expect Liverpool to finish top on 86 points, eight clear of Arteta’s team.
Arsenal’s chances of winning the league have dropped from 15.13 per cent to 8.14 per cent while Liverpool’s have risen from 84.79per cent to 91.76 per cent.
No other side are given more than a 1 per cent chance by Opta of ending up champions. —BBC
