Arteta Demands Arsenal 'Take the Bullet' After Wolves Collapse
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta declared on Wednesday night that his team must 'take the bullet' for a performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers which he did not deny raises serious questions about their mental strength in the Premier League title race. After the league's bottom-placed team equalised in the 94th minute, Arteta said his side had been careless in possession and inadequate overall, surrendering a commanding 2-0 lead in a dramatic late collapse.
'Any Criticism, You Have to Take It on the Chin'
'I think any question, any criticism, any opinion, you have to take it on the chin today,' Arteta stated bluntly in his post-match interview. 'That's it. Any bullet, take it, because we didn't perform at the level that is required.' When it was suggested that his team, who squandered the chance to go seven points clear at the top, were struggling under the pressure exerted by Manchester City, he responded: 'Anything that anybody says can be right, because we didn't do what we had to do. And the way to do it is on the pitch on Sunday, in a great opportunity that we had.'
Asked if his side were strong enough to recover from this significant setback, Arteta emphasised action over words: 'We've always done it, but you are as strong as to show it the next time you do it. To talk and say it here, it's simple, and we have to do it on the pitch.'
Repeated Possession Errors and Lack of Control
Arteta highlighted that his team, who will be only two points clear if Manchester City win their game in hand, had repeatedly squandered possession throughout the match. 'It was one after the other, to be fair. It was a moment after another moment after another moment. So even though we scored the second goal, we never got a grip and dominance of the game,' he explained.
He continued with a stark assessment: 'It’s difficult to accept it in the second half how we didn't perform at any level in any aspect of the game, at the standards that are required to win a game in the Premier League and we paid the price.' Arteta added that there were 'too many things that went wrong was one after the other,' advising that 'it's best not to judge it. We are all too emotional about it and it's not the moment to do it.'
'It's a moment when you don't perform, and you are at this level, and expectations are where they are. You have to take the hit, because as well, we deserve it,' Arteta conceded. 'If I ask the players what we have to do now - what the game requires - they know it. But we weren't able to do it throughout the game, and it was in various sequences and a lot of times as well. That's why we have to do better. But we didn't do it, and that's the reality.'
Wolves Manager Praises Team's Resilience
Wolves manager Rob Edwards expressed pride in his team's comeback, particularly highlighting Tom Edozie's late leveller. 'It was a great moment. A good night for the football club. It was only a draw but to come back from 2-0 down against one of the best teams in Europe is pretty special, a good performance as well,' Edwards said. 'That’s three defeats in 11 games so we’re not doing that bad.'
Edwards emphasised his team's fighting spirit: 'We’re not giving up. We know what could happen but we’re never going to give up, all the way to the 38th game, and we’re showing that.' He called for realism from fans, noting: 'I hope everyone has a little bit of realism and understands what we’re up against, we were never going to roll Arsenal over easily, especially when you go 1-0 down early on.'
'I’d have liked a little bit more backing [by the fans] at that point if I’m being honest, but the way we finished, the energy was around. The lads are fighting hard, but Arsenal are really good. We didn’t lose our heads, took control for long periods. Really proud of the players,' Edwards added. He concluded by stating the need to 'build some momentum and a connection around the place,' acknowledging the challenges but praising the 'really good energy tonight, we have to try to bottle it.'
