"So far, there have been only 3 losses. Two of those matches were fought with 10 players. To win, we needed to secure more victories."
Arsenal drew 2-2 with Crystal Palace in the 34th round of the 2024-2025 Premier League home match held at the Emirates Stadium in London, England, on the 24th (Korea time).
As a result of this match, Arsenal recorded 67 points (18 wins, 13 draws, 3 losses) and maintained 2nd place in the league, but found themselves 12 points behind 1st place Liverpool (79 points). Liverpool can clinch the title with just a draw in their next match against Tottenham.
On the day, Arsenal took the lead with a header from Jakub Kiwior in the 3rd minute, but allowed a stunning volley from Eberechi Eze to equalize in the 27th minute.
In the 42nd minute, Leandro Trossard regained the lead with a clever left-footed finish, but in the 38th minute of the second half, a mistake by William Saliba allowed Jean-Philippe Mateta to equalize.
Failing to score in stoppage time, Arsenal ended up with just 1 point, effectively bringing Liverpool's title within reach.
After the match, the British 'Football London' reported on the press conference of manager Mikel Arteta (43). He noted, "I was disappointed with both the result and the performance." He explained, "We didn’t dominate the game fully. We took the lead and had high possession, but we couldn’t control the flow in the way we wanted."
Most regrettably, it was the crucial mistake. Arteta emphasized, "Even if we didn’t show our best performance, we should have finished the game where we took the lead twice. The second goal conceded was particularly fatal." This was interpreted as a direct criticism of William Saliba's error.
Regarding the concerns raised about fatigue management or loss of focus prior to the UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), he stated, "I don’t want to use that as an excuse." He added, "We had enough time to prepare for the match. While it’s true that there were many injuries today, Crystal Palace is also a great team, and we must acknowledge that we weren’t at our best."
He also mentioned the 13 draws recorded in the league this season. "There are many reasons, but ultimately the problem is not finishing games where we took the lead. In matches like this one, we conceded despite not having much happen in the second half."
He responded regarding the disallowed goal by Martinelli after a VAR review, saying, "I haven’t seen the replay yet, so I don’t know the exact reason." On the overall evaluation of the season, he expressed, "So far, there have been only 3 losses. Two of those matches were fought with 10 players. To win, we needed to secure more victories."
He cautiously answered a question about maintaining 2nd place in the face of Liverpool's dominance. "The remaining league and Champions League matches will not be easy. To go in the direction we want, we need to perform well in every match."
Regarding Mikel Merino and Ben White, who did not participate due to injuries, he stated, "We still need to monitor their conditions. They were excluded from the roster as they are unable to play." He expressed satisfaction with Leandro Trossard, who has scored in four consecutive matches, stating, "He is a player who makes a difference no matter where he plays. He is always ready."
On the matter of Thomas Partey’s contract extension rumors, he stated, "I already expressed my position a few days ago. It is not something I can discuss further at this time."
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