Arteta Blasts Arsenal Players After 1-1 draw with Manchester United: “There was no reason to lose”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration after his team’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, showing missed opportunities and defensive lapses that cost them vital points.

While the Gunners fought back from a Bruno Fernandes free-kick with a second-half equalizer from Declan Rice, Arteta was far from pleased with his side’s overall performance.

Despite playing an impressive first half, Arsenal failed to capitalize on their dominance, leaving Arteta to question his players’ execution in key moments.

“We were exceptional in the first half, but we didn’t test the keeper,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “We had some unbelievable situations, but we didn’t get the final shot or the last pass.”

It’s clear that Arteta felt the match was a missed opportunity to take all three points, especially given the Gunners’ solid start.

Arteta also noted that the team’s struggles in front of goal were compounded by their failure to take control of the game after halftime.

Arsenal seemed to lose momentum, with Arteta pointing out that they rushed their play, started losing duels, and failed to capitalize on key moments.

“We didn’t capitalise, we rushed the game, we started to lose duels, and we could have ended up losing it,” he said.

The match ended with a draw, leaving Arsenal 15 points behind league leaders Liverpool, although they still have a game in hand.

Arteta was clearly frustrated with how his team managed the game after conceding the early goal from Fernandes, especially with the opportunities they failed to convert at the other end.

“Sometimes that is what is missing,” he added, referring to their inability to execute when it mattered most.