Mikel Arteta criticized Arsenal‘s defending as “unacceptable” after they needed a last-minute goal to win against Wolves at home on Saturday night.
The Gunners struggled against the last-placed team in the Premier League, with a bizarre own goal by Sam Johnstone finally breaking the deadlock in the second half.
Bukayo Saka’s corner hit the post, then deflected off the goalkeeper’s head and went into the net.
Victory seemed assured for Arsenal until Tolu Arokodare scored from a dangerous cross by substitute Mateus Mane in the dying moments.
Wolves even found the net again before the match ended, but it was an own goal by Yerson Mosquera who redirected Saka’s 94th-minute cross into his own net.
Arteta felt relieved but did not sugarcoat his team’s lackluster performance.
“It’s not about resilience… we should have prevented that goal,” he said.
“You have to give credit to Wolves. I was aware it would be a tough match, but we made it harder by conceding the way we did. That’s unacceptable.”
Arteta criticizes Arsenal’s defense against Wolves
The Arsenal coach took aim at his team’s defense for being too passive and the attack for failing to secure the win earlier.
“It’s all about the three points, but we expected a tough match, especially if we didn’t score early. We had a big chance with (Gabriel) Martinelli two yards out, completely open, and missed it.
“We struggled in the danger zones to find our players in the box. We had many opportunities like that. In the second half, we improved a bit and then scored the goal.
“But then we were too deep for three minutes, showing poor defensive habits that aren’t acceptable for us.
“We didn’t let them have a single shot until then. The first time they did, they scored. This is the Premier League; we need to be more aware and improve because we relied on one chaotic incident to win, and our margin should have been greater.”
He added: “We created plenty of chances but didn’t find the right players with our final passes. Hitting the first defender from advantageous positions is below our standards.
“I wasn’t surprised by Wolves. I saw what they did at Chelsea and against Villa, and I knew we would struggle if we didn’t score early.”
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