Arsenal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta called his side 'sloppy' as they lost 2-1 at home to Brighton in a blow to their Champions League hopes.

"We've shown for many weeks how well we can play; it has been a difficult week and we've lost some big players, but if you get what you want, not everything is going to be with a blue sky. "We made it really difficult for ourselves. A long-term injury to Kieran Tierney compounded the misery.

Read a full transcript of the manager's post-match press conference after our defeat against Brighton.

We have to give them something, and we didn’t give them anything in the first half and this is down to us. It’s not a problem of attitude, for me it was a problem of the approach and the courage that we showed to play and we didn’t have that purpose. After the game, when you lose, the decision that you made you have to write before the match, after it is too late. We were sloppy with the ball, we were second best again in a lot of situations, we didn’t show any purpose or build any momentum in the game, play with the right speed and transform the game that Brighton proposed today and with the first chance that they had, the only chance I think they had, they scored a goal and, again, we created a cold atmosphere, an atmosphere we weren’t comfortable with and when we tried to change it, it was too late. But you could see that in end the energy was already very different. The reaction that we wanted to show and everything that we talked about, we didn’t make it happen on the pitch.

Two goals for the visitors handed Graham Potter's side all three points at Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Leandro Trossard's first-half strike put ...

"You can concede one goal and still be in the game, we had the big decision on the corner on Gabi Martinelli’s disallowed goal that probably was the crucial moment to change a little bit. We didn’t give anything to our crowd to hang onto, we didn’t show enough purpose, speed, momentum, we didn’t generate anything that we wanted to do. Copyright 2022 The Arsenal Football Club plc.

Goals from Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu helped Brighton to a deserved 2-1 win at Arsenal; the Gunners pulled one back late on through Martin Odegaard ...

With injuries, fixtures and points totals now counting against them, Arsenal have it all to do if they are to overhaul neighbours Tottenham in the race for fourth. We have to have that level of energy and visualise the beautiful challenge we have ahead, don't sit back and let's see what happens." We didn't have that intention to attack and step in and provoke the situation we wanted to. We have everything to play for in the last eight games. It was the worst performance they'd served up since the early weeks of the season. I think we just need to go out there and be free and play our game, you know? but we played a game that you could not see the purpose, the intention of what the team was trying to do. "It was not a problem of attitude, it was a problem of courage we showed to play and we didn't have that purpose. The momentum and the energy. But we can't look at that because we can't be looking for excuses. "The first half was really poor again," he said. "We created a cold atmosphere we were uncomfortable with.

Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure after we were beaten 2-1 at home by Brighton on Saturday afternoon. The boss looked back on a disappointing display but ...

"You can concede one goal and still be in the game, we had the big decision on the corner on Gabi Martinelli’s disallowed goal that probably was the crucial moment to change a little bit. We didn’t give anything to our crowd to hang onto, we didn’t show enough purpose, speed, momentum, we didn’t generate anything that we wanted to do. Copyright 2022 The Arsenal Football Club plc.

Arsenal have shown they can overcome adversity, but Arteta needs a better answer for the dual loss of Tierney and Partey, one of his toughest tests.

"With all of the team available, we know how difficult the challenge that we have ahead," said Arteta. "With those two big injuries it makes the situation more complicated. The cushion Arsenal had in the top four race has gone and Arteta did not hide from the difficult moment they now find themselves in. He touched the ball just 21 times -- the fewest of any starter -- and attempted just eight passes. After Mwebu doubled the visitors lead with a superb goal featuring lovely link-up play between Trossard and Moises Caicedo, Odegaard hit the crossbar with a free-kick and substitute Eddie Nketiah achieved the same with the rebound. Gabriel hit the side-netting with a close-range header before Trossard's opener and Gabriel Martinelli had an equaliser disallowed on the stroke of halftime for offside. Albert Sambi Lokonga, in his first start since Jan. 23, was asked to anchor a three-man midfield, providing defensive cover while enabling Arsenal to play out from the back.

One of the Premier League's longest ever VAR reviews denied Gabriel Martinelli a goal as Arsenal lost at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

A heavily-deflected shot from Martin Odegaard pulled a goal back for the Gunners late on, but Brighton held on for three points. The reason it took so long was that multiple players had been in such close proximity that extra angles were required. Martinelli had originally flicked the ball on from a Bukayo Saka corner but when it was headed back to him by defender Gabriel, was his offside?

Arsenal fans vent their frustration following the Gunners' 2-1 defeat against Brighton at the Emirates.

@NBlaskett: It is what it is, considering we have the youngest team in the league, key injuries to an already small squad it’s been a decent effort but a step too far. It's now two consecutive defeats for Arsenal, meaning their top-four hopes continue to take a significant blow. Fans demanded changes at half-time, with the majority wanting to see Alexandre Lacazette make way for Nuno Tavares, but Arteta decided to keep things as they were. Despite having plenty of attacking threat with Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli all starting, Brighton made it difficult for a breakthrough to be found. May as well give the likes of Nketieh and Lokonga a run to the end of the season. Brighton got their second with 67 minutes on the clock via a lovely finish from Enock Mwepu, who was the star of the show for Graham Potter's side.

Between the goals, scored on 28 and 66 minutes respectively, the Gunners laboured around the pitch, all too often slowing the tempo and seeming to have no idea ...

The Gunners boss has spoken to the press after his side's 2-1 defeat to Brighton at the Emirates in the Premier League.

When that happens you have to move and we didn’t do it and by the time we started to do it was too late and you could see already that the energy was very different. We played a game where you could not see the purpose or the intention of what the team was trying to do and like what can they do? The fans were here and they were exceptional, and you can see the moment we gave them something, what we tried. That was the feeling that we had. We didn’t have the purpose, I know them and we didn’t have that intention to attack and step in and provoke the situation that we want to provoke and we were looking at each other too many times instead of taking ownership and doing what we have to do. Especially because we thought that space was going to be there for Granit to use which it was, but we didn’t use it.

Mikel Arteta has explained the reasoning behind his decision to move Granit Xhaka to left-back and play Emile Smith Rowe in midfield after Arsenal's 2-1 ...

The result has seen Arsenal fail to make up the ground on Tottenham and thus dealt a blow to their chances of finishing in the top four. Explaining his decision to move Xhaka to left-back, Arteta said: ‘Well especially the way I thought they [Brighton] were going to play and the spaces that we wanted to attack, it fits really well to play Emile [Smith Rowe] in that position [midfield]. Mikel Arteta has explained the reasoning behind his decision to move Granit Xhaka to left-back and play Emile Smith Rowe in midfield after Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton.

Brighton condemned Arsenal to their second defeat in a week on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at the Emirates.

It's a game of football and I think in the first half we were very tense and slow so we just need to go out there next week, trust what the manager and the coaching staff are saying and go and play our football, which we've done all season." "We were not in the rhythm of the game, that's unlike us, especially at home where we've normally started really well all season. Crystal Palace got the better of Mikel Arteta and his side on Monday night, blowing them away in the first half.

Martin Odegaard's stunning goal wasn't enough for Arsenal to secure any points during their 2-1 defeat to Brighton, as Michael Dawson praised his efforts.

He has no right in having a shot. Arsenal have no time to feel sorry for themselves because they have a packed schedule to come and the race to finish fourth is now out of their hands. “Odegaard, he picks the ball up.

How the Gunners got on individually in their Premier League clash with Graham Potter's side at the Emirates.

Had a huge chance but managed to hit it off the underside of the crossbar. Did manage to pull one back with a deflected effort from distance though and kept trying till the end. His passing, while forward for the most part, was often inaccurate and the Gunners struggled to create through the middle as a result. Drifted infield where he could but couldn't support the attack and was shown up in his one-vs-one defending at times. Gabriel: Much better than on Monday night and came very close to a goal and arguably should have had an assist for Martinelli's goal that was ruled out. Ben White: Had occasions where he dawdled on the ball a touch but that was more to do the lack of movement in front of him.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has commented on Alexandre Lacazette's lack of goals this season after the Gunners' 2-1 loss to Brighton on Saturday.

Whilst the lack of Thomas Partey and Kieran Tierney were also huge factors in the loss, Lacazette’s poor performance once again highlighted just how badly Arsenal are missing out on a top striker, who could have made the difference against Brighton this weekend. Arsenal made a huge risk in January in choosing not to sign a top-quality striker following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and their defeat to Brighton proved just that. I’m never happy, especially when I lose, I’m really upset.

All the latest Arsenal related news from football.london and elsewhere.

However, despite his recent times on the sideline, Manchester United and Ralf Rangnick made the decision to start him against Everton in the Premier League yesterday. The Englishman has struggled in the Premier League so far this season, finding the net just four times for his club. Arsenal are planning ways to strengthen their forward line in the summer as Mikel Arteta continues to shape his dream squad.

Between Monday's defeat at Selhurst Park and the loss at the Emirates six days later, Mikel Arteta also lost the services of first-team stars Kieran Tierney and ...

“I think we just need to go out there and be free and play our game, you know? It’s a game of football and I think in the first half we were very tense and slow so we just need to go out there next week, trust what the manager and the coaching staff are saying and go and play our football, which we’ve done all season.” aron Ramsdale issued a withering assessment of Arsenal’s miserable week in the wake of Saturday’s loss at home to Brighton.

Arsenal were already reeling from defeat at Crystal Palace on Monday night and, with Kieran Tierney and Thomas Partey missing through injury, their small squad ...

“We had a little joke in the dressing room before the game that I was going to score. I was delighted to take the chance, I hit it really well and it was wonderful to see it go into the net.” “I think we have shown that we have the right mentality in the group to come to places like Arsenal and play like we did.

Matthew Upson believes that Mikel Arteta's decision to start Granit Xhaka at left-back speaks volumes for his lack of trust in Arsenal's Nuno Tavares.

Interesting that he’s gone with Xhaka. That’s how bad he [Arteta] must feel about Tavares’s performance because to move your recognised centre midfielder out of that area out of the pitch, when you’ve lost your other centre midfielder, tells you everything.” And in retrospect, playing Tavares at left-back and keeping Xhaka in his usual position probably would’ve been the smartest decision. He said live on Optus Sport: “Hugely missed.

Arsenal are set to splash the cash again ahead of the summer transfer window but it will mean forcing some departures out of the Emirates with Mikel Arteta ...

However, it has not been a happy time for Pepe since moving to the Premier League and a move away could suit all parties. But the form of Bukayo Saka has forced the 26-year-old to take a backseat and remain on the bench throughout the campaign for large portions. It is a surprising decline considering last year he scored 10 times and looked like he was ready to play a bigger role in the squad.

Arsenal news takes a look at what Thomas Partey did at the Emirates Stadium after missing the 2-1 loss against Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday through ...

But with eight games remaining, there's still time for plenty of twists and turns as the battle for Champions League qualification heats up. 'His passing, while forward for the most part, was often inaccurate and the Gunners struggled to create through the middle as a result.' But, it could not be the case because it’s an area where he had a previous injury as well and he felt it straight away.

It has been a miserable week for the Gunners and recent comments from Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli on one of his Arsenal loanees will only add further ...

Finally, he is the soul of the team. That was followed by his latest switch to Marseille, where he has played an integral role at the Stade Veledrome. "Guendouzi's physical condition is exceptional. So much so, in fact, that his current manager Jorge Sampaoli believes that Guendouzi will soon be regarded as one of the finest midfielders around.

Enock Mwepu scored a contender for 2021/22 Premier League goal of the season to help Brighton win 2-1 at Arsenal. Watch match highlights right here.

The Gunners did not give up after going 2-0 down. Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu scored one of the best goals of the 2021/22 Premier League season to help his team win 2-1 at Arsenal on Saturday. Watch Brighton Score Goal Of The Season Contender In Win At Arsenal - Premier League Highlights

Tariq Lamptey only came on at 2-0 to Brighton but one fan claimed his 'loan' from Chelsea was a problem for the Premier League.

- CouRage (@denzaille) April 10, 2022 - Rob (@RJPJournalism) April 10, 2022 - Saratov :flag_ua: (@HKSaratov) April 10, 2022

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale says Arsenal must respond quickly after back to back losses has left their Champions League hopes in tatters.

‘It was a really poor performance and as I said we went to the end but that’s a given at any club, especially this club. I think we just need to go out there and be free and play our game, you know? You make it an uphill battle against any team in the Premier League if you’re losing at half-time.

Arsenal could be without Thomas Partey for the remainder of the season through injury, but the Ghana international's absence could be great news for a ...

As previously reported by football.london, Azeez had been expected to play more of a role in the first-team this season. Zach Awe, Marcelo Flores, Omari Hutchinson and Mazeed Ogungbo have all received at least one call-up, whilst for the first time since being recalled from a loan spell at Portsmouth, Miguel Azeez was named in the matchday squad against Brighton. Furthermore, the longer Partey is out, the longer Arsenal will be left short when it comes to meeting Premier League guidelines.

Technical director Edu will be a busy man in the summer transfer window as Arsenal look to sign a number of new players.

His preference would be a move to La Liga, but he is open to joining a Premier League team. His time at Manchester United is coming to an end and his agent has offered the forward to a number of clubs, including Arsenal. The Gunners have a good relationship with Los Blancos after the deals involving Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos, while Arteta wants to add to his midfield which could see the likes of Granit Xhaka leave this summer. Arsenal have already held a meeting with Tielemans’ agent, with the Belgian international set to leave Leicester upon the expiration of his contract next summer. Isak would be keen on a move to the Premier League and sources close to the player claim he wants to leave Sociedad this summer. Generally, the transfer policy is targeted at signing players under the age of 26 who have the potential to develop under Arteta, with top-flight experience and the ability to be sold on for a significant transfer fee in the future.

Arsenal: 3 positives from 2-1 defeat to Brighton as Mikel Arteta oversees Premier League defeat that leave top four hanging by a thread.

Were it not for a flying save he could have leveled the scores. Coming on to act effectively as a shadow striker is a different matter as he can make third man runs and be released from any positional burdne. The ploy of fielding Granit Xhaka at left-back in 2020/21 did work…until it didn’t work. One of the worst halves of football the side has produced this season saw them fail to inspire themselves let alone the crowd, with Mikel Arteta’s tactical disasterplan failing to ignite the requisite response to the loss in south London. From near enough every angle it appears as if Arsenal have thrown away the top four within the space of a week. From the darkness comes a new light.

Marseille manager Jorge Sampaoli says Arsenal's Matteo Guendouzi is on his way to becoming one of the best midfielders in the world.

‘He has not progressed thanks to me, it is in general, he has gained in maturity. ‘He has also managed to impose himself, which can be seen with his selections for the France team. He is on the way to becoming one of the best midfielders in the world.’

Matteo Guendouzi's explanation of how Marseille reacted to Monaco defeat tells Mikel Arteta why his Arsenal side lost to Brighton.

You have to adapt to the team you’re facing. We have to keep this mentality – tonight everyone had it, even those on the bench. The former Arsenal man referenced the mentality of his teammates and disregarded the tactical side and instead highlighted how they adapted to their opponent. We did some great stuff with the ball, and we stayed strong without it," he said to RMC Sport via GFFN. Marseille went to the team that had claimed points from them earlier in the campaign, similar to Brighton’s 0-0 draw with Arsenal last year, and they won comfortably 4-1. Matteo Guendouzi is a player who has already made his peace with his Arsenal past and will sign for Marseille in the summer on a permanent deal.

ARSENAL are no longer favourites to finish in the Premier League top four.

So there are set to be plenty of opportunities for the youngsters to spend time in a match day squad. They are both still relatively inexperienced in their respective roles. But strikes from Leandro Trossard and Enock Mwepu were enough to seal a first win in eight for Graham Potter's side. That meant there were only 18 first-team outfielders remaining at the club. But many supporters questioned the January business and now the club's naivety could scupper their hopes of a successful end to the season. Arsenal were a depleted outfit, with Thomas Partey missing following the thigh injury he picked up at Palace. But Arteta and Edu are to blame for the severe lack of squad depth at the Emirates.

Matteo Guendouzi has impressed on loan at Marseille this season and looks set to leave Arsenal in the summer, and Mikel Arteta has been told what a mistake ...

It’s a glowing review of a player that could fulfill his potential with the French club. However, in the long-term it could also be a regret for Arsenal, according to quotes from Marseille boss Sampaoli. It would also put an end to a difficult stay at the Emirates Stadium for Guendouzi.

Chelsea face an uncertain few months while Roman Abramovich's sale of the club moves closer, but one of Arsenal's new crop of wonderkids has caught the eye ...

While football.london reports that Arsenal remain confident of tying the hotshot down to a professional deal, he has yet to commit his future to the club. And that doesn't just refer to the likes of now-established midfielders Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. The Blues are operating under a restricted licence, put in place after owner Roman Abramovich was added to the UK government's list of sanctioned individuals.

Arsenal aren't letting the top four race get in the way of their ambitions – and could spring a move for a Barcelona a-lister.

Still, Depay may want to fight for his future at the Camp Nou – and did not enjoy a happy time in the Premier League with United. Mark White has been a staff writer on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, writing pieces for both online and the magazine. Manager Mikel Arteta is still thought to be backed completely by his employers, however, with plans for new forwards still set for the transfer window.

Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu was spotted on Saturday as Mikel Arteta prepares for the 23-year-old's return.

Arteta needs to find some way of making his side competitive again. However, even if Tomiyasu returns, goals are not the Japanese international’s speciality. With that in mind, it is on Arteta to workaround solutions. The loss of Takehiro Tomiyasu in the Arsenal side did not initially look to be a huge blow. With Tierney out for the season, having both backup full-backs out is damaging the side’s attacking and defensive potential. However, with Tierney out, the defence has looked far more vulnerable.

Marseille boss Jorge Sampaoli has claimed that Arsenal loanee Matteo Guendouzi is on his way to becoming one of the best in the world.

‘He has not progressed thanks to me, it is in general, he has gained in maturity. ‘He has also managed to impose himself, which can be seen with his selections for the France team. ‘Guendouzi’s physical condition is exceptional.

Arsenal are in danger of seeing history repeat itself should Mikel Arteta fail to learn from Unai Emery's mistakes, as the Gunners suffered another Premier ...

History suggests that the notion Monday night's Palace loss was merely a bump in the road is a dangerous line to take. Having been overrun in midfield and having appeared toothless in attack on Monday night, Arteta failed to adapt his approach heading into Saturday's clash with the Seagulls, and swiftly came unstuck. Three years ago, in the wake of a Palace defeat, Emery's Arsenal failed to respond.

With Alexandre Lacazette continuing to struggle for Arsenal, HITC Sport look at four strikers the Gunners almost signed over the years.

With Arsene Wenger revealing that he almost signed the now £166m PSG star for free when he was a youngster and met with the striker in the transfer window before Mbappe’s move to Paris, Arsenal were on the cusp of signing one of the best players in world football. Kylian Mbappe’s breakthrough season at AS Monaco was something of a revelation, and Arsenal were, surprisingly, one of the leading sides to sign the French sensation in the summer of 2017. With that in mind, who are some players Arsenal were close to signing in transfer windows gone by, and how badly have the north London side bottled it in not working hard enough in trying to sign a world-class striker to lead the line?

The Gunners are without a number of key players following the defeat at the weekend, but Takehiro Tomiyasu is nearing a return from Arsenal's injury list.

What Arteta has said: "It is a little bit ambiguous, but he has a significant injury and we’ll have to keep assessing him, but he will be out for some weeks. He is expected to make his return before the end of the season. Mikel Arteta and his side have managed to put themselves into a position to compete for Champions League qualification, but have struggled since their return from the international break.

After disastrous performances against Crystal Palace and Brighton, Arteta faces the prospect of a season of progression reaping no reward.

A thrashing in the 2019 Europa League final soon followed and Emery was out the door before the end of the year. Arsenal may begrudge that bad luck, but it was also the consequence of their calculated gamble in January. The decision not to reinforce the squad and loan out Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who would have been capable of playing at both full back or as a holding midfielder, feels more questionable than ever, especially when considering the impact Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevksi have made at Spurs. Arsenal’s failure to sign a striker is proving an even greater hindrance. It is no surprise in Arsenal’s slow and volatile reinvention under Arteta that problems have punctured the wheels just as they had seemingly turned another corner. There was more heart on display in the frantic final few minutes against Brighton, as Arsenal desperately scrapped for a last-ditch equaliser, but it would have been more than they deserved against a side who’d not only failed to win any of their last seven league games but had managed to score just once during that dire spell. On the one hand, that was merely a natural reaction to a result that could yet prove so pivotal – and costly – in the top-four race. But perhaps it also betrayed the swirl of pressure that loomed over, in Arteta’s words, a “cold atmosphere” at the Emirates on Saturday, as optimism faded into a sinking realisation that the pieces the Spaniard has wrestled so vigorously into place over the course of this season are still all too easily broken apart.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly ready to rival Arsenal for the signing of James Maddison, but the Foxes' midfielder isn't the answer for Mikel Arteta. Of ...

So with that in mind, football.london compares the Gunners' next six fixtures to those of Tottenham, Manchester United and West Ham. Of course, adding Maddison to Arsenal's squad will only strengthen the Gunners' future ambitions - that's a given, especially considering his attacking prowess. The Premier League is entering its most important stage with a number of important places still to decide.

But the Frenchman has not scored a goal from open play in over 19 hours of football. Arsenal are still in the hunt for a Champions League qualification spot ...

"The reaction that we wanted to show and everything that we talked about, we didn’t make it happen on the pitch. "Lacazette is an issue that he's got his contract up in the summer and that's an area they need to fill. However, the Gabon star's falling out with Arteta saw him stripped of the captaincy and then leave the club in the January window. He said on talkSPORT: "Lacazette is probably the lowest-scoring centre-forward. "He's got four Premier League goals this season. I cannot be happy."