Arteta rues Arsenal’s finishing, reacts to Martinelli’s miss | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta did not hide his frustration after the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, in an important English Premier League clash. Despite taking the lead with a goal from Noni Madueke, the Gunners conceded the equalizer to Keane Lewis-Potter. For the coach, the team failed by not “defending the area with their lives” and by wasting clear chances to finish the match.

The “chaos factor” of Brentford

Arteta highlighted that although Arsenal controlled the second half, Brentford's style of play punishes any lapse. “They create chaos that is difficult to defend. If you don't defend the area well, it's impossible to win here,” he stated. The coach credited the opponent for their physical intensity and long balls that forced the London defense into errors.

Martinelli and the missed chances

The manager also commented on the chance missed by Gabriel Martinelli in the final minutes, in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper. “In these games, you need to be ruthless in both areas and we lacked that,” he pointed out. Regarding the tactical changes, Arteta explained that bringing on Odegaard was strategic to add more creativity and break the opponent's high press.

Title race

When asked about the pressure in the standings, with the lead advantage dropping to four points over Manchester City, Arteta urged calm and focus on individual and collective performance. “We need to raise the level every week. There will be many 'ifs' until May, but we can only control what we do on the field,” concluded the coach, downplaying the gap with direct rivals.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.