Arsenal were held to a goalless draw against Everton at the Emirates to leave Mikel Arteta's side six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool
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Mikel Arteta walks towards the tunnel
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta following the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday December 14, 2024.
(Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Mikel Arteta has conceded that Arsenal lacked spark in their stalemate with Everton, a result he described as "very disappointing" which saw the Gunners miss the chance to close in on Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table.
Despite having the upper hand in Saturday's game against Sean Dyche's stubborn Everton side at the Emirates, the title hopefuls struggled to carve out significant opportunities.
The North London outfit has now failed to score from open play in three successive league games, leaving them trailing six points behind Liverpool who themselves drew 2-2 with Fulham and having played one more match. The final whistle was met with audible discontent from the home crowd.
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Arteta also had to justify his decision to substitute skipper Martin Odegaard just past the 60-minute mark. In came 17 year old Ethan Nwaneri, a bright talent, tasked with breaking down an Everton defence that has notched up four clean sheets in their last five games, but even he couldn't provide the breakthrough.
"I feel very disappointed not to win the game," Arteta remarked. "Obviously there was only one team who deserves to win, and that was Arsenal."
"We gave nothing away, didn't concede any shots. We dominated play. We didn't allow them to run, we generated chances, but in the last 20 metres we were missing a goal. And when you do what we've done against them today, you have to win the game."
Reflecting on a recent draw, the manager expressed his contentment with the team's performance but highlighted the need for improvement in finishing: "If you draw you always want more, but I cannot ask much more from the boys apart from putting the ball in the net. Individually can we do things a bit better, with a little bit more quality, and deliver that magic moment when it's necessary? Yes. But that is not easy."
Arsenal's recent form has seen them secure wins against West Ham and Manchester United, with set-pieces proving fruitful. However, their latest Premier League match ended in a 1-1 stalemate at Fulham, with the goal once again coming from a corner.
When questioned about the team's struggle to find the net from open play in league matches, Arteta was quick to point out their midweek success: "In the Premier League. We scored three (in the Champions League against Monaco) from open play three days ago."
"It won't continue. We will score goals. If we have the chances like we had today again, I am sure we will score. The problem is that we didn't."
The Gunners' prime chance fell to Odegaard, who failed to capitalise on a well-crafted move involving Saka and Havertz. Despite Pickford's impressive save denying him, the Arsenal captain's substitution after 62 minutes raised eyebrows, as did the replacement of Declan Rice, though Arteta disclosed that Rice is contending with an injury.