Mikel Arteta sends warning to Arsenal players after Brighton defeat
Mikel Arteta has sent Arsenal players a warning about their second half performance in the defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
The Gunners needed a win at the Emirates Stadium to keep pace with treble-chasing Manchester City atop of the Premier League table on Sunday, but were thoroughly beaten by Brighton 3-0 on the day.
Following an evenly contested first half, Arsenal were then put to the sword in the second half by Roberto De Zerbi's side - conceding three goals and being largely outplayed.
Speaking to the press after game, Arteta was keen to warn his players that such a performance cannot be repeated in such a high-pressure game.
"You cannot do what we did in the second half," he said. "If the team is capable of doing that when it comes to the biggest stage there are a lot of things we have to think about and analyse."
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The defeat means that Man City can win the title next weekend with a win over a rather horrid Chelsea outfit.
When asked about whether or not the title race was over by Sky Sports, Arteta replied: "Mathematically, it's still possible.
"But today it's impossible to think about it. We need to digest the result and the performance in the second half, understand why and have a different reaction."
Midfielder Martin Odegaard also admitted it feels as though there is 'no hope' of returning to the top of the table this season, all but accepting defeat in the title race.
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On this edition of 90min's YouTube show, Scott Saunders, Grizz Khan, Lawrence Bury and Harry Symeou to look back at Arsenal's defeat to Brighton and the end of the Premier League title race.
If you can't see this embed, click here to watch!