Mikel Arteta refuses to hide behind injuries after shock Arsenal defeat | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta did not want to blame injuries to key forward players in the aftermath of Arsenal's shock 1-0 defeat to West Ham United at Emirates Stadium.

Jarrod Bowen scored the only goal of the game just before half-time to bring Arsenal's 15-match unbeaten run to a close, also inflicting a first home defeat on Arteta's side this season.

Arsenal had just two shots on target throughout the entire game and were severely lacking in creativity throughout. Not even captain Martin Odegaard could unpick West Ham's resilient defence, who looked assured throughout against a front three comprised of 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino and Leandro Trossard.

Despite being without Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli due to injury, Arteta did not want to use that as an excuse and admitted he was "very angry" with the performance put in by his players.

"No, no and I refuse that completely because I am talking about the standards of the players and the team that we played today, me included," Arteta said, asked pointedly if missing personnel was a factor. "And that was nowhere near the levels that we have to hit to have the opportunity to win a Premier League.

"Today no, we were very consistent, yes, but football is about what you do today and today, nowhere near.

Mikel Merino couldn't repeat his Leicester heroics against West Ham / Julian Finney/GettyImages

"Yeah, very disappointed, obviously very angry as well. I think you have to congratulate West Ham for the victory and the game that they played," he continued. "But as well I think a lot from our side that we never got right and they didn't allow us to get enough momentum, enough sequence of play with positive action that could deliver into situations of threat for them.

"And even though the ball that we had and 20 shots of that, I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed. First of all to have more threat and then not to allow them to run because we lost a lot of balls that we allowed West Ham to run in very dangerous positions.

"We have to be [angry at ourselves], I hope we are very much because we didn't hit the levels today and I am very much responsible of that so I am very, very angry."

Arsenal remain eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who have slipped up in two of their last three Premier League outings, and could trail by 11 come the end of the weekend as the Reds look to down reigning champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.