Arteta Expresses Pain After Late Goal Ruins Arsenal’s Victory
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, described a “pain in my tummy” following his team’s disappointing 2-2 draw against Sunderland in the Premier League. This match marked the end of Arsenal’s impressive run of 881 minutes without conceding a goal, as they allowed two strikes, one of which was a last-minute equalizer.
Brian Brobbey scored for Sunderland in the fourth minute of stoppage time, breaking Arsenal’s five-match winning streak in the league and ten consecutive victories overall, which had been bolstered by a remarkably strong defense.
Prior to this match, Arsenal had kept a clean sheet since September 28, ensuring nine matches without allowing a goal. Danny Ballard, a former academy player, scored Sunderland’s first goal in the 36th minute at the Stadium of Light.
“I felt a pain in my tummy,” said Arteta. “I don’t want to concede any goals. That goal put the game in a difficult position for us.”
Sunderland, returning to the Premier League after eight years, provided a significant challenge for Arsenal. However, the Gunners managed to take the lead with second-half goals from Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard, only for Brobbey’s late strike to deny them victory.
With the draw, Arsenal remains seven points clear at the top of the table ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who is set to face Liverpool on Sunday.
“The final emotion is disappointment and frustration because we aimed to secure three points and had to navigate through a tough match,” Arteta added. “We anticipated a challenging game. We needed to manage difficult situations better. They performed well and we conceded a goal that does not meet our standards.”
Despite the draw, Arsenal nearly found a winner in the dying moments, with Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino coming close but being thwarted by Sunderland’s goalkeeper Robin Roefs and Ballard.
“In the final minutes, we had another huge opportunity with Riccy and Mikel to win it, which I think we deserved,” Arteta said. “It didn’t happen, but it reflects the last ten games we’ve played, winning in various manners while missing seven frontline players. It highlights the difficulty of our situation.”
Report includes information from The Associated Press and PA.
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