Premier League Title Race: Arteta Reacts to Loss

Arsenal lost 1-2 to Aston Villa in the 15th round of the Premier League, it was the Gunners’ third loss in their last five league games. The lead that Mikel Arteta’s men (43) had at the top of the table is getting smaller and smaller. The Spanish coach emphasized that it is time to recover, because the competition will last for another six months.

Arsenal’s players now only have a two-point lead over second-placed Manchester City. Only the second loss of the ongoing Premier League season came at Villa Park after Emiliano Buendía’s fifth-minute set-piece goal.

“That’s the way the league is. You go to Old Trafford, you go to St. James’ Park, Chelsea, then here, we’ve been to a lot of difficult pitches. The outcome could have been different, but the reality is what it is. We have 18 defeats behind us and we are still here, close to each other,” Arteta was heard saying after the match.

The Villans are now third on a five-game winning streak, three points behind the Gunners. “That’s the level of the league, we know that. Now it’s time to pick ourselves up, the players gave me all the right reasons to believe that we will play at the same level. Let’s move on. We’ll learn from today and be a better team because of it,” believes the Spanish coach.

Arsenal had to face several complications in the last few days when three stoppers were injured. The last time it was Cristhian Mosquera, whose ankle is bothering him. “Unfortunately he will be out for a few weeks. It’s a lot longer than we expected.” informative Arteta.

So far, the Gunners have had such a responsible defense that there was even a possibility of breaking the record for the lowest number of goals conceded in a season. He holds Chelsea with 15 goals in 2004/05, but the Gunners had to find the ball out of the net nine times after 15 rounds.

“We’re five months in and we’ve done well so far. We’re going to have to prove we can do it again and again and again for the next six months. People who think we’re going to be 10 points ahead at this point are living in a different world.” completed Arteta.

In terms of form from the last five matches, Arsenal is only ninth in the PL, on the other hand, Aston Villa is in first place.