Mikel Arteta spoke to the press after the [2-2 draw with Sunderland](https://arseblog.news/2025/11/report-sunderland-2-2-arsenal-inc-goals/) this evening, here’s what he had to say.
**On the game overall…**
Obviously the last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points and we had to navigate through a really tough game. We knew that they would be very disruptive. We have to deal with situations obviously that it’s difficult to deal with.
They do it really well. We conceded a goal that is not in our standards but after that I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage, scored the first goal, scored the second goal. We have totally dominated the game.
Then you have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six, seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better.
Today we haven’t done it, we conceded the goal and in the last minutes we have another massive chance with Ricky and Mikel to win it, which I think we deserve to do. It didn’t happen but I think it shows what we’ve done in the last ten games, winning them in the manner that we’ve done it, with clean sheets, missing seven players in the front line. It shows you how difficult it is.
**Whether he was annoyed with the players in the first half …**
It’s not annoying. We have to adjust certain things and at the end you have to credit the opposition as well. They are unbeaten here for a reason and they do what they do really, really well and they make it very difficult for you.
You have to be very patient, you have to dominate certain things in order to earn the right to dominate the game in the manner that you want, and we’ve done much better in the second half.
**On his emotions when Sunderland equalised …**
Again, unsatisfied because I want to win and the game was almost there, but you know this is the Premier League and the manner that they play, they are going to hang on in there when it’s just one goal difference.
I’m frustrated because it’s an action that we can defend better, but as well you have to credit the opposition. To do what they’ve done, to put the ball there, to head the ball the way they’ve done it and then their striker it to that action and to put the ball in the net. Sometimes you have to do that and recognise that as well.
**On Sunderland making life difficult against ‘big’ opposition …**
We knew that from the beginning but that’s the Premier League. You don’t get to any place in the Premier League where you think you’re going to have a comfortable afternoon, evening, however you want to call it and again, it’s not a coincidence what they are doing and they deserve to be where they are, and we do as well.
**Will it hurt the players to lose the clean sheet record?**
Yeah, of course it hurts, especially when it costs you points. We know that we have to do better and even though we’re conceding goals, there are things that we have to improve and evolve. I always mention that and that’s it.
Learn from the past and get better. It’s a pain in my tummy because I don’t want to concede any goals, and it was a goal obviously that he was putting the game in a difficult position.