Arsenal’s attempts to close the gap on Premier League title rivals Liverpool were thwarted as they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Sunday. With Liverpool’s match against Everton postponed on Saturday, the Gunners had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit to just four points. However, they have now gone three games without a win against Marco Silva’s side.
Match Overview
Arsenal started the match on the back foot, conceding an early goal to Raul Jimenez. However, they quickly equalized through William Saliba, who narrowly avoided being offside. Unfortunately for the Gunners, late in the game, Gabriel Martinelli was ruled offside before assisting Bukayo Saka, denying Arsenal a potential winner.
As a result, Arsenal ended the weekend six points behind Liverpool and have played one game more. They remain two points ahead of last season’s champions, Manchester City.
Arteta’s Reaction
Manager Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment following the draw. He praised his team’s response to going behind and their overall performance, stating, “Very disappointed not to win the game. Overall, we absolutely dominated from start to end… Unfortunately, we concede one goal in one shot.”
Arteta acknowledged the fine margins in football, emphasizing how small details can dictate outcomes: “The way we started was unbelievable… but suddenly you’re one goal down. The team reacted immediately, and we fought until the end, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the reward today.”
On Missed Opportunities
When asked about not capitalizing on Liverpool’s postponement, Arteta noted, “We had really good momentum… the performance was 100% there. The winning probability would be so high, but this is football, and the margins are so small.”
He also commented on the offside decision that cost them a late goal, highlighting the importance of awareness in such situations: “You could see it on his face after; he knew you can’t do that. You just cannot be offside when you’re looking along that line.”
As Arsenal looks to regain their winning form, they face the challenge of improving their finishing and maintaining focus on the small details in future matches.