London (Reuters)
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta said that his team cannot repeat the modest performance it showed in the 2-1 loss to Fulham, if it wants to compete for the English Premier League title.
Arteta described the match as “the worst” for his team of the season, after Arsenal wasted an early lead, losing for the second match in a row, and ending the year in fourth place, after being the leader at Christmas.
He told reporters, “It is a painful and sad day. This is the summary from my point of view. We simply were not at the required level.”
He said, “We were not able to control the direct play. It was easy for Fulham to win the first and second ball, and get a chance to run, and we conceded two goals in this way.
He added, “What happened cannot be repeated. If it does, we will never have the opportunity to get where we want.”
“It could have been a good way to end the year at the top of the league, but these are marginal matters,” Arteta said.
The Spanish coach added that his team should focus on raising the level, and said, “We want to win matches. We have a chance to be the best in the league with these players, so they are good and we continue to work with them.”
Arsenal will return to league competitions again against Crystal Palace on January 20.
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