Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with the “unbelievable” fine margins that denied his side a victory in their 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Gunners entered the game with an opportunity to reduce the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points following the postponement of Saturday’s Merseyside derby. However, the stalemate marked Arsenal’s third consecutive game without a win against Marco Silva’s side.
Raul Jimenez opened the scoring for Fulham early in the match, but Arsenal equalized through William Saliba, who capitalised on a tight offside call. The drama continued late into the game when Bukayo Saka appeared to score a winner, only for VAR to rule it out due to Gabriel Martinelli straying offside in the buildup.
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With the result, Arsenal remains six points behind Liverpool, having played one game more, but stays two points ahead of defending champions Manchester City.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Image credit: Getty Images)
Arteta praised his team’s resilience after falling behind but admitted to being disappointed by the result.
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“Very disappointed not to win the game,” Arteta told Match of the Day. “Overall, we absolutely dominated from start to end. We did everything we wanted to do, but unfortunately, we conceded one goal from one shot. The way the team played and wanted to win was unbelievable. In this league, millimeters can decide if you win or not, and that’s the disappointing thing tonight.
“The way we started was incredible—we dominated the ball, the high press, every aspect of the game. But then you’re one goal down, and that’s the quality of this league. The team reacted immediately, equalised, and kept pushing. We fought until the end, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the reward today.”
When asked about the opportunity to capitalise on Liverpool’s postponed fixture, Arteta said: “We’ve had great momentum; the team is playing really well and winning games. Today, the performance was 100% there. The winning probability was so high, but this is football, and the margins are so small.”
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