Coach Arteta: 'Winning the title right now is impossible'

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted that their hopes of winning the Premier League title were dashed after their 0-3 defeat to Brighton in matchday 36 on May 15th.

"A week ago, I stood here feeling proud. But today we have to apologize for our performance in the second half," Arteta said after the match at the Emirates Stadium. "This result is unacceptable. Theoretically, it's still possible. But after today, thinking about winning the championship is unrealistic."

Yesterday, Arsenal had the edge in the first half, but Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, and Bukayo Saka were unable to convert their chances into goals. In the second half, the home side surprisingly conceded goals to Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav, and Pervis Estupinan.

The 0-3 defeat has left Arsenal with virtually no hope of overtaking Man City. They currently remain in second place with 81 points, four points behind and with a game in hand. The Manchester club will defend their title if they beat Chelsea at home at the Etihad Stadium in the next round on May 21st.

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

Arteta said the first half was very tense, with Brighton deliberately committing many fouls to disrupt Arsenal's rhythm, and regretted the missed opportunities. The Spanish coach admitted his players were at a disadvantage in one-on-one challenges, conceded terrible goals, showed no resistance in the second half, and it will take days to "digest" this defeat.

Controversy arose surrounding Brighton's opening goal when Jakub Kiwior – the player marking Enciso – was stepped on the heel 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 humiliating defeat.

Arsenal have conceded 23 goals at home in the Premier League this season. Only in the 2019-2020 season, when they conceded 24 goals, have the Gunners conceded more in a single season since moving to the Emirates Stadium. When asked about the reasons for this statistic, Arteta replied: "Many different factors. When you watch today's game, Arsenal conceded goals too easily."

Undav scored Brighton's second goal in their 3-0 win against Arsenal on May 14th. Photo: Reuters

Sharing the same view as his Spanish manager, captain Martin Odegaard admitted that Man City will not "make mistakes" in the remainder of the season, and the title race is already over. The Norwegian midfielder was disappointed that Arsenal dropped points in five games in the final stages of the season and set a goal to finish the season as best as possible. In their remaining two matches, the Gunners will visit Nottingham Forest on May 20th and host Wolves at the Emirates Stadium on May 28th.

Hong Duy

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