Mikel Arteta expressed a mixture of emotions after Arsenal’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Liverpool, declaring that the team is still “alive” in the Premier League title race.
Despite being without key players like captain Martin Ødegaard, William Saliba, and Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal managed to take the lead through goals from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino in the first half, responding well after Virgil van Dijk equalized in the 18th minute.
However, the match took a turn when Arsenal suffered further injury setbacks. Gabriel Magalhães limped off, and Jurrien Timber had to be substituted, forcing a makeshift defense into action. Mohamed Salah’s strike in the 81st minute ultimately allowed Liverpool to level the match, denying Arsenal the victory they desperately sought.
Arteta expressed his disappointment at not securing the three points, stating, “I’m very disappointed that we haven’t won the game today.” He was proud of his team’s performance, especially given the challenging circumstances they are facing.
Arteta noted that despite dominating the first half and playing well, the team made crucial errors by conceding two goals, which he found particularly frustrating. “We gave two goals away. That’s the really frustrating part and that we couldn’t see the game out,” he added.
With this result, Manchester City emerged as the significant beneficiaries of the weekend, regaining the top position in the league, one point ahead of Liverpool and five points clear of Arsenal. Arteta acknowledged the challenges of their current standing, saying, “You don’t want to be in that position.
You want to be five points ahead but this is where we are.” Nevertheless, he remained optimistic about his team’s potential, emphasizing their determination and spirit. “The team is alive, the team wants it. I feel it every single day,” he said, highlighting the frustration of players who cannot participate due to injury.
Arteta expressed confidence in the team’s capabilities and reiterated his belief that positive changes would come. “Things will turn up and we are going to be in a better place,” he assured, while also reflecting on their performance, noting that they were the better side overall during the match. He lamented the missed opportunity to secure vital points to improve their position in the league.
On the other side, Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, was pleased with his team’s resilience after coming back from behind twice against a strong Arsenal side.
He commented on the difficulty of the match and expressed satisfaction with the result, emphasizing that it’s still early in the season and they can compete well against formidable opponents like Arsenal.
However, Slot was not thrilled about receiving a yellow card for comments made during the match. He explained the misunderstanding, clarifying that his remarks were misinterpreted and noting that he had to be cautious with two yellow cards already this season.
Overall, both managers reflected on the match’s intensity and the significance of the draw for their respective teams moving forward.
