In the latest round of the Premier League, Arsenal played out a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attended the post-match press conference.
Do You Think You Deserved a Penalty?
Well, first of all, that’s how the game goes. We obviously came here to win, but we couldn’t for various reasons.
First off, credit to them – they organized themselves really well and were very good at disrupting our rhythm when we were on top. But the reality is we also created four clear-cut chances: Martinelli’s shot, Declan Rice’s attack, Miguel’s strike and Bukayo’s header.
Beyond that, there was clearly a very obvious penalty in the box that wasn’t given. So, to not win the game without allowing a single shot on target is disappointing. On top of that, I think we could have done better, especially when it comes to pressing Forest goalkeeper Sels on his distribution.
With Man City Losing Today, Do You See This as a Missed Opportunity, or Is a Point Still a Good Result? How Would You Assess This Game Today?
Yes, obviously every week is an opportunity, and we certainly want to win every single game. If we had done that, our position would be different now. But we have made progress, even if it’s smaller than we expected, and that’s better than nothing.
You Wanted to Improve in Terms of Tackling. I’m Wondering Specifically Which Areas? Were These Issues Similar to the Game Against Liverpool, Where You Also Failed to Score?
No, I don’t think it was the same. Obviously, the style of play was completely different. Especially after regaining possession in chaotic situations – which they deliberately created – we lacked a bit of composure. The next two or three passes didn’t come off in time, so we couldn’t take control of the game or avoid the frequent chaos we saw earlier.
Of course, credit to them as well. In all the games I’ve watched against them, their defense has been very solid and hard to break down. So when chances come your way, you have to take them, because that completely changes the course of the game.
You Changed Your Winger System Since Midweek. Was That Because the Game Tempo Increased and the Team’s Form Improved, or Were There Other Considerations?
Yes, it made a big difference. Obviously, Bukayo has played a lot of minutes, and he featured in the midweek game. So we needed to manage the players properly. We have some really good players who can bring different things to the team, and we tried that from the start.
In the second half, we kept pushing, took more risks, committed more players in attack, and gave it everything we had. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
Jota produced his best performance of the season against Chelsea in midweek. Are you disappointed with his display today?
No, obviously we expect the players to be decisive at this level, because we need them to score goals, create chances, unlock defenses and get the opportunities to change the game. But we failed to take those chances, and that’s everyone’s responsibility.
Has Eze’s Magical Form Lately Given Him a Chance to Start Earlier and Turn the Tide of the Game?
Yes, but we have other ways as well. Given the spaces we could create and the way they defended, it was very difficult to find those gaps. The spaces were mainly in the box, and we could create chances and cause chaos like we did today – we should have scored.
Man City have now gone three or four games without a win. Do you think you could have achieved a better position?
If we had won every game, then of course. But unfortunately, we couldn’t win today, and the opportunity we wanted to seize didn’t come off.
The Focal Point of the Incident Was First the Shoulder, Then the Position of the Arm and Neck.
They are right about that. It was the shoulder first, then he used his hand to catch the ball. The explanation was wrong, but the rest was correct.
The sequence was right, but the player’s timing and intent were very obvious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here saying that, in my opinion, it was a very clear penalty.
