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Everton frustrated Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon
The Gunners had the majority of possession and had 13 shots - five of which were on target - while also earning eight corners. The Gunners have now failed to score from open play in their last three Premier League games but Everton dealt well with the home side’s threat from set pieces. The hosts’ frustration was further amplified by the fact that 10-man Liverpool also dropped points on Saturday afternoon as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Fulham.
Reflecting on the result, Arteta said afterwards: “I feel very disappointed not to win the game, because, obviously, if there’s a team that deserved to win, there’s only one, which is Arsenal. We gave nothing away, no shots conceded, dominated our play, not allowed them to run, no set pieces. High-press, excellent. We got them there. We generated the chances, but the last 20 metres was missing to score goals, which is what you have to do with all the dominance because we have never been able to dominate it that way. But at the end you have to try to generate the highest winning probability. Now that you draw the game, you want more. Even if we win it, we always want more. But I cannot ask much more to the boys apart from putting the ball in the net.”
He continued: “I'm very disappointed because when you do what we've done today against them, you have to win the game, you know. But at the end, this is football, it’s the hardest thing. Those last 20- 25 meters to do what we have to do. Credit to them as well, how they block shots, Jordan Pickford for the saves that he's made, the way they defend, the desire that they defend with. But honestly, it's difficult to ask something else to the team. Individually, can we do things a little bit better and deliver more quality and deliver the magic moment? In that case that is necessary, yes, but that's something that is not easy.
“At the end you need the spark and you need to be precise. I mean, we had the chances, this could have been two or three nil, and nobody's talking about it. The reality is 0-0, and they're not going to talk about all the incredible things that the team did in the game. I mean, certainly, it's not energy. When I see my team track-back, it's unbelievable. Every three days, 70 metres, all the team is going there. So very difficult to ask them something else because they want it.”
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