Furious Arteta blasts Arsenal’s first-half display in 2-2 draw with Liverpool
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has condemned his team’s lacklustre first-half performance against Liverpool on Sunday, branding it “unacceptable”.
Arteta’s comments come after a spirited second-half comeback that secured a 2-2 draw for the Gunners at Anfield.
The Gunners found themselves two goals down within a chaotic 90-second spell in the first half, with Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz punishing Arsenal’s disjointed defending.
Although Gabriel Martinelli halved the deficit just after the break and Mikel Merino equalised in the 70th minute before receiving a red card, Arteta was left furious with his side’s sluggish start.
“What we did in the first half, in the first 20 minutes, is nowhere near the level,” Arteta fumed post-match. “The standards in the first 20 minutes were unacceptable. I’m really upset.”
The Spaniard criticised both Arsenal’s defensive discipline and ability to retain the ball, particularly in areas he considered critical against a high-intensity Liverpool side.
“There were a lot of disappointing parts, especially our defending and the areas where we gave the ball away. That’s totally prohibited against this team.”
Though Arsenal showed resilience in clawing back a result, Arteta dismissed the notion of being satisfied with merely reacting.
“I hate reaction. I like action,” he said. “When you’re fighting to win trophies, you can’t start like that. It’s not good enough.”
The draw leaves Arsenal vulnerable in the league standings, just two points ahead of Newcastle and three ahead of Manchester City, with only two games left in the season.
