Mikel Arteta had plenty to reflect upon following our comeback draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
After the game the manager faced the media and was asked about the comeback, the red card to Merino, the Premier League season and more.
Here’s every word from his post-match press conference…
On the first-half performance being unacceptable…
A lot of parts, especially the defending standards that we had and the areas that after we gave the ball away which is totally prohibited against this team. Very far off it, really upset. We had a reaction; I hate reaction, I like action and especially we want to be there winning trophies. You want to be a moment that you win it or you don't, and when you don't have to, after you have to play another one that you have been working for nine months and that's here today. And if you cannot win it, you have to be the best of the rest. And I was really, really upset.
On if the reaction makes up for the first-half performance…
I think it makes it worse because you miss half of the team again and we've done it for nine months. And you're going to still, after two-nil at Anfield, like any other team will do, we play the way that we play, come back, maybe should have won it and at the end maybe lose it again for something that was in our hands for sure and having to play for the sixth time in the season with ten men. We want to really win it, the consistency level for 95 minutes, and I don't like to talk about the players that are not here and the excuses. Disappointed.
On the sending off…
I haven't seen it on TV to be fair. I know that Mikel goes to the ball, and he gets a little bit pushed and after he reacts, it looks like he touches him, and he made the decision. So that's it.
On running out of players…
I know you don't want to talk about the players who aren't here but you are running out of players at the moment. I know but if that happens after 70, 80, 90 minutes, I understand. The first 25 minutes and certain things that we haven't done, ball goes out of play, we don't react. That's after one minute, five, ten and 95, especially if you want to win at Anfield because in one moment you lose the ball or you lose the game. That's it, done.
On if it was due to Wednesday’s performance…
But psychologically what could happen is maybe it doesn't happen and after 60, 70, 80, 90 minutes we die because we have players on that pitch today that shouldn't be on that pitch. I will understand it more but when I see that reaction and it's there, you need a certain amount of fire. That's on me, that's my responsibility.
On Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber’s fitness…
No, we brought Jurrien in to see if today he was better but he was very clear that he's not fit to play.
On how he got the reaction out of the players…
Whatever happens in the dressing room, it’s going to stay there. It couldn't be much worse. It could be, because this is football, or they could be more effective but thankfully we did in the second half what we are capable of doing, understanding as well a lot of the things that are against us at the moment.
On making the move to have Gabriel Martinelli through the middle…
Especially when they have such a high line and they are so aggressive with that and what Ben did as well because Ben is in a stage where he is and the way he tried today and the way he grew throughout the game was very, very impressive.
On if the second-half comeback was there to send a message to Liverpool…
No, I think the message is to ourselves - I think it has to be about us, the things that we can control. We can never control what they are able to do or what they can't do. That's it, they won it. I think they fully deserve to win it - they have been so consistent and that's it. We are going to have to be better, smarter, with the right availability, for sure don't play six times in a season with ten men because if that happens we won't win it next season for sure. And learn, a lot of learning.
On taking encouragement from the performance…
When I look back to the 2-2 game at home and we should have probably won it, probably. I think we should have won it and today we should have lost it, and it could have been three or four. The first 25 minutes they missed another two big chances as well - it's about the consistency and the level, at the highest level we can compete against any team in the world, and we have shown that now for the last two, three seasons. Against the top six, I think we haven't lost any single game, so that tells you, as a team we are very, very consistent. We can compete with anybody. But actually to win it and win, win, win, win, win, we're going to need something else apart from availability as well, certain demands and make sure that we don't talk about reaction, because I hate that word.
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