Emmanuel Petit has expressed disappointment after learning that some Arsenal supporters booed the players following their defeat to Manchester United. The reaction came after United became the first team to beat Arsenal at the Emirates this season, securing a 3-2 victory that ended the home side’s strong run in the league.
The result was a significant setback for Arsenal, particularly given the expectations surrounding the fixture. Under Mikel Arteta, the club has been widely regarded as the strongest team in England this term, and the match against United was viewed as an opportunity to reinforce that status. Arsenal started the season strongly and, despite pressure from the teams below them in recent weeks, had managed to remain clear at the top.
However, the loss meant Arsenal recorded a third consecutive league game without a win, a sequence that has understandably caused concern among sections of the fanbase. With momentum slowing at a crucial stage of the campaign, emotions ran high at full-time, leading to negative reactions from some supporters inside the stadium.
Title race perspective
Despite recent results, Arsenal remain in a strong position. Arteta is aware that performances must improve in the coming weeks, but the team still leads the standings. For Arsenal to lose the top spot, they would need to drop points further while their rivals continue to win, a scenario that is far from certain at this stage of the season.
Petit believes this context is vital and feels that panic is premature. From his perspective, the team’s overall quality and consistency across the campaign should not be overshadowed by a short run of disappointing results.
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Petit calls for unity
Speaking via the Metro, Petit questioned the reaction of the supporters and urged them to remain positive during the decisive period of the season. He said, ‘So stop the negativity especially for the Arsenal fans I want you to support the team until the end. Believe they have the strength and quality to win the title.’