Arteta refuses to make excuses for Arsenal’s Brentford draw | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta criticised the goal Arsenal conceded against Brentford as “not good enough”, admitting that his team should take the blame for how they defended the attack.

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Arsenal drew 1-1 with Brentford in a Premier League game at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and it was easy to make excuses for the result.

The Gunners had just played against Real Madrid in the Champions League a few days earlier, with the second leg coming up on Wednesday. It would be understandable if the team’s focus was elsewhere.

Then there was a dangerous challenge on Gabriel Martinelli that perhaps could have drawn a red card, and Arsenal could feel unlucky that it only saw yellow.

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Despite those potentially mitigating factors, Mikel Arteta insisted there could be no excuses. He put the blame squarely on his own team’s failings in his post-match interviews.

“Disappointed with the result,” Arteta said. “Once we open the game and we’re 1-0 up, and in full control of the game, we concede a very poor goal. A goal that, against them, you know is going to happen.

“We are in total control in the final third and we allowed a big transition, leads to a corner that you have to defend – first, second, or third phase. And what we do there against a team like Brentford, not good enough.

“When you don’t do what you have to do, very likely against this team you’re going to concede a goal.

“We are ready, always we play every three days, we are so used to it. So that’s not an excuse.”

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The draw with Brentford is unlikely to change much in Arsenal’s season, with the team still having a decent lead over the other sides attempting to qualify for Champions League football. Catching league leaders Liverpool was never really on the cards, win or not.

But the team can’t afford to make the same mistakes in midweek, allowing Real Madrid back into their quarter-final tie.