Mikel Arteta’s Bitter Reaction Following Defeat at Aston Villa

Arsenal faced a heartbreaking defeat against Aston Villa, losing 2-1 in the final moments of the match, which cost them crucial points in the title race. Although the Gunners were at times outplayed, they seemed set to secure a draw until Buendía scored in the dying seconds (90+5). This frustrating loss leaves Mikel Arteta dissatisfied as he now looks forward to a response from his team following their second defeat of the season. After the match, the Spanish coach spoke to TNT Sports, expressing clarity, regret, and a call for individual accountability.

“Given how it ended, this is really hard to accept. In the first half, we created chances. (…) After that, we started to control the game and had some good opportunities. But we always walk a tightrope, especially when we don’t manage the ball well after regaining it. We didn’t do this well in the first half. In the second half, we started very well, scored a goal, and were dominant. However, then we had periods where the same issues emerged. We lost our dominance and left spaces. We lost two balls that could have cost us the match before the goal. Then we missed chances when Declan (Rice) crossed for Noni (Madueke) and Viktor (Gyökeres). We didn’t score and ended up losing. It’s painful,” he stated after this back-to-back setback in the Premier League.