Mikel Arteta had plenty to reflect upon at full-time on Sunday.
After seeing our potential late winner ruled out for offside the manager faced the media, and was asked about the game, the big decisions, set pieces, injuries and more.
Here’s a full transcript from his press conference…
**On his thoughts on the game...**
Gutted that we didn’t win it, because I think we deserved to win from the beginning to the end. We did almost everything that we had to do to win it. But this is the quality of the opposition, with one chance they score a goal. And then the margins of the league as well. For millimetres we could have been sitting here with three points after a really strong and dominant performance against a really good team.
**On how difficult it is to break Fulham down...**
They are really well organised. This is football. When we played them at home last year the margin was huge for us but they scored two goals from three or four chances. That’s the quality of every opposition. You cannot cry about it. That’s the beauty of this league too. The beauty of this team too is how they are able to play today, even in this circumstances and against good opposition. I’m really happy for that.
**On what's missing from our general play after another set-piece goal...**
I think it’s a great thing that we can again score from a set piece. We can generate other stuff, we had other chances. For a team to play like this you have analyse every phase. Obviously against a low block you generate set pieces and you generate crosses because it’s really difficult to attack inside.
**On if he's seen the late VAR decision which ruled out Saka's goal...**
No.
**On it being tight…**
But it was offside, no? I imagine that if they give it it’s offside. That emotionally was tough because we were so happy and we really dug in to take it and it was taken away.
**On not feeling hard done by small margins...**
That’s the quality of opposition. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. We have to stand up for ourselves. We had a really good performance against a really good side. Normally you don’t see these kind of games here. Now we have to continue to improve and look at what we can do better so that the opposition have zero chances to win the game. That’s the objective.
**On an opportunity missed without Liverpool playing this weekend...**
We really wanted it. We have good momentum and it was a really crucial moment for us to go for it. We certainly did. We certainly tried and we were so close to doing it. Unfortunately we didn’t manage to achieve it.
**On if today's result is painful...**
Yeah but as well because we want to win deserving to win against any kind of opposition. When they are able to change something we are still able to adapt and be so dominant and good in the game. That’s the thing. It’s all about us because we don’t know what the opposition is going to do. If we continue to play at this level with the threat that we are we are going to win a lot of games.
**On if Zinchenko, Calafiori and Gabriel will be back for Monaco...**
I hope, but it’s more a question for the doctors and physios to understand where we are. We are missing a lot of players in the backline. The good thing is that whatever we put there they respond. They respond with a good attitude and performance.
**On naming a changed backline for the ninth time this season...**
It’s not ideal. We know that when we have consistency there how much that's giving us as well, but that's a different season. It brings in different challenges, we try to face them in the best possible way, the players are certainly doing the same, and we're going to continue on that route.
**On the amount of chances we're creating from open play...**
It's never enough if you don't score three, four or five. We want to improve in everything that we absolutely do. If they play 11 or 12 direct balls there, I want to win 11. If it's 12, then 12. If we win the high press and we release the unit out wide and they want to play, six times, six times. And when we manage the game, we want to management the game 100 per cent. That’s football.
**On missing Gabriel...**
Yes, but I’m really pleased with the performance of Jakub and we had to change the whole unit as well. We had Jakub there and Jurrien on the left which we’ve never played before and Thomas as a full back, and okay he does it. Jorgi comes in and he was excellent. That’s it, they were not available and we have to respond to that and I’m very happy with the way the team did.
**On the players adapting to play in different positions...**
Yes, it starts with the will that they have because they understand and recognise the situation that we are in, that we’ve been in since the start of the season and they’re trying to help the team by really feeling it because we’re asking them to do things they’ve never done and they’re really buying into that and trying their best, so that’s a positive.
**On whether Fulham's defending at set-pieces was fair...**
Fair? Yeah, for sure. If there was something unfair, it’s for the referee to decide. I don’t think there was any issues there.
**On being a threat from set-pieces and whether he feels the energy in the crowd…**
Yes, for sure. We are a real threat and it’s nothing simple to do.
**On if the defensive changes led to Fulham's goal...**
I don’t know, I can’t promise you that with different personnel that wouldn’t happen. It was a really random situation and then sometimes you have to clap the opposition. I mean, from that angle as well, to have the shot that he had, the only shot in the whole game from the striker, to put it where he did, credit to them and sometimes you have to recognise that.
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