When Arsenal plays Liverpool on Sunday during a crucial Premier League match, head coach Mikel Arteta is sure his players will overcome their recent setbacks and perform at their peak.
The Gunners enter the game coming off of two lackluster showings. William Saliba's first-half red card reduced Arsenal to 10 men, which led to their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday at the Vitality Stadium. Arsenal nearly avoided defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at the Emirates on Tuesday in the Champions League, owing to an own goal from Dmytro Riznyk.
Arteta acknowledged the minor decline in form despite these poor performances, blaming it in part on the obligations for the international break, which required players to travel widely. He is nevertheless upbeat about his team's preparedness for the match against Liverpool.
He said, “We played just two and a half days ago, right after internationals and flights from places like Brazil and other distant countries. I expected there might be a slight drop-off. We put a lot into the first half, but not converting our chances and creating a gap on the scoreboard made things harder. We also started to give the ball away and struggled to regain control in key areas, which made the game more open.”
Following their first setback of the season last weekend, Arsenal now sits four points behind league-leading Liverpool. They will have to make due without forward Bukayo Saka, who is still out with a hamstring injury from the international break, and William Saliba, who remains suspended.
Arsenal set to miss crucial clash against Liverpool
However, a number of ailments are plaguing both teams, which may affect their starting lineups in this crucial match. The Gunners' injury list is getting longer, and Mikel Arteta is particularly worried about how healthy star attacker Bukayo Saka is.
While playing for England on international duty, he sustained an injury. Defender Jurrien Timber is still a serious doubt, while skipper Martin Ødegaard was also ruled out.
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Mikel Arteta throws fiery comments at Liverpool prior to Premier League encounter
Mikel Arteta spoke to the media in his pre-match press conference today and did not shy away from lashing out comments at Liverpool ahead of their clash on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta
When Arsenal plays Liverpool on Sunday during a crucial Premier League match, head coach Mikel Arteta is sure his players will overcome their recent setbacks and perform at their peak.
The Gunners enter the game coming off of two lackluster showings. William Saliba's first-half red card reduced Arsenal to 10 men, which led to their 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday at the Vitality Stadium. Arsenal nearly avoided defeating Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at the Emirates on Tuesday in the Champions League, owing to an own goal from Dmytro Riznyk.
Arteta acknowledged the minor decline in form despite these poor performances, blaming it in part on the obligations for the international break, which required players to travel widely. He is nevertheless upbeat about his team's preparedness for the match against Liverpool.
He said, “We played just two and a half days ago, right after internationals and flights from places like Brazil and other distant countries. I expected there might be a slight drop-off. We put a lot into the first half, but not converting our chances and creating a gap on the scoreboard made things harder. We also started to give the ball away and struggled to regain control in key areas, which made the game more open.”
Following their first setback of the season last weekend, Arsenal now sits four points behind league-leading Liverpool. They will have to make due without forward Bukayo Saka, who is still out with a hamstring injury from the international break, and William Saliba, who remains suspended.
Arsenal set to miss crucial clash against Liverpool
However, a number of ailments are plaguing both teams, which may affect their starting lineups in this crucial match. The Gunners' injury list is getting longer, and Mikel Arteta is particularly worried about how healthy star attacker Bukayo Saka is.
While playing for England on international duty, he sustained an injury. Defender Jurrien Timber is still a serious doubt, while skipper Martin Ødegaard was also ruled out.