Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, has clarified why his team was unable to secure the Premier League championship this year.
Following a Champions League semi-final loss to Paris Saint-Germain, the Gunners have finished the season without silverware for the fifth running year despite a strong campaign. Known for his openness, Arteta discussed frankly the two main elements preventing his team from competing for the championship.
READ: PSG eliminate Arsenal to secure spot in UCL final
The Reds won the championship on their turf with a thrilling 5-1 run over of Tottenham Hotspur towards the tail of last month. The Anfield will receive the North London side on Sunday.
What caused Arsenal difficulties?
The gaffer boldly recognized the problems that plagued his team all season in his press conference remarks.
“Well the first one with the league there has been two main reasons,” he said.
“One is the amount of games and time that we have played with 10 men, and then the availability of the squad throughout the 38 games.
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“It’s very, very difficult to manage and to have very strong performance consistently. We dropped a lot of points, we dropped a lot of points when we were ahead as well which is something that really needs to improve.”
The Spaniard’s emphasis on red cards and injuries draws attention to a continuing problem for Arsenal this year. While an injury-plagued team battled to maintain consistency, frequent disciplinary problems left the team short-handed in important times.
Will the Gunners’ trophy famine be over anytime soon?
The Emirates Stadium giants’ five-year trophy drought continues to be a painful reality with their most recent setback. The coach, who has frequently stressed a winning attitude, acknowledged that it has been tough to accept not having any trophies.
He continued: “Not winning trophies bothers me a lot because I love winning and absolutely hate losing.“I don’t judge that and there are two words, success and failure, they are not part of my vocabulary.”
Since his appointment, the ex-Spain international has clearly been driven by success; however, the limitations of this season have challenged his will.
MORE: Arteta eyes improvements to end Arsenal’s trophy-drought
Has Arteta learned from PSG loss’s heartbreak?
The former Manchester City’s assistant coach disclosed the emotional toll the team’s departure from the UCL to Paris Saint-Germain took on them. Arsenal’s hopes of continental glory were dashed by the semi-final loss, and the players and supporters were heartbroken.
“It was a very emotional moment after PSG, a very sad moment. We put a lot of hope and energy and work into that and we didn’t get the outcome. You need to go through that to become stronger and better and that’s what we do.”
The Gunners’ boss stays attentive on the immediate work at hand despite the letdown. He is resolved to finish on a good note with three games remaining in the Premier League season.
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