ARSENAL MANAGER MIKEL Arteta said his side produced their worst performance of the season in a damaging 2-1 defeat at Fulham on Sunday that dealt a further blow to the Gunners’ Premier League title aspirations.
Arteta’s men have now won just one of their last five league games to fall two points behind leaders Liverpool, having played a game more.
But while the Spaniard could cling to positives despite defeat to Aston Villa and West Ham in recent weeks, the Arsenal boss made no defence for his players at Craven Cottage.
“We weren’t good enough,” said Arteta. “The other day we lost a game (against West Ham) we fully deserved to win and today we were nowhere near the level.
“This one you have to isolate because it’s the worst performance of the season.”
A lack of a clinical striker has been pinpointed as the major flaw among Arteta’s squad that may prevent them from winning a first league title in 20 years.
But Arsenal also kept just one clean sheet in eight games in December.
Arteta rejected suggestions he needs to further reinforce his squad in the January transfer window.
However, he warned his players that any such repeat performances will scupper their quest to dethrone Manchester City as champions.
“If we play like we played in the other 19 games, we will be up there,” he added.
“If we play like today, we will be nowhere near. Today was a really difficult day to swallow.”
Arsenal remain in fourth, but could even drop out of the Champions League places before they are in Premier League action again in three weeks’ time.
Fulham had lost their previous three league games without even scoring a goal.
The return of Raul Jimenez from suspension, though, proved the catalyst for an impressive display and three points for Marco Silva’s side.
Jimenez slotted home the equaliser after Bukayo Saka had fired Arsenal into an early lead.
Bobby De Cordova-Reid then grabbed the winner just before the hour mark after Arsenal failed to clear a corner.
“Really the best way to finish 2023, definitely. Our ambition was to finish on a high and react from the last two games,” said Silva.
“I really believe we deserve it. Over the 95 minutes we deserved it more.”
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Most interesting thing I’ve seen today. No reason why Villa won’t challenge this season. Every reason why Arsenal won’t.
Premier League points table for 2023 calendar year:
Man City 93
Aston Villa 85
Liverpool 81
Arsenal 81
Man United 74
Spurs 69
Brighton 68
Newcastle 66
West Ham 59
Wolves 56
Brentford 55
Fulham 51
Chelsea 48
Bournemouth 48
Everton 47 (doesn’t include -10)
Forest 45
Palace 44
@Louis Jacob: tell us more Louis
@Dan P: What do you wanna know P?
@Louis Jacob: villa’s lack of depth likely to catch up with them. 5th place I’d say. Unless Arsenal really balls it up, which they could.
@Louis Jacob: your deepest darkest secrets
@ecrowley: For some reason I can’t comment under you there. Probably need to reinstall app.
It seems to me that of you look at it: Man City are bound to improve. Liverpool will hopefully improve. Arsenal seem to stand still. Good form followed by bad form. But Aston Villa are the only team whove been on a definite upward curve. Tou could be right about their squad depth but that’s been an issue for them for a while. Arsenal have a weak underbelly. Arteta is supposed to have fixed that but I’m not entirely sure he has.
@Louis Jacob: Soft underbelly is accurate and doubt Arteta will be given funds in Jan. City will defo improve, I just hope Liverpool can keep ahead of em but it’s hard to say. I’d like Villa to get 4th, they’ve been very good. Emery doing great stuff with em.
@Louis Jacob: I feel City are not as good as they have been in past seasons but unless one of the other contenders put a great run together it won’t make any difference. Unfortunately for the league.
@Bert Carolan: Totally agree. I still think liverpool have in them to run them close. There’s something missing at city at the moment. I’m not sure Pep and Haaland are the best of pals to be fair. Halaand can pretend he doesn’t mind getting lectures in full view of everyone, but no player wants that and Keane is right, it’s only showmanship from Pep. But in reality they probably still win it handy in the end.
@Dan P: I don’t like to even think about my deepest darkest secrets. They’re shocking to be fair.
@Louis Jacob: If I was a comppiracist I’d suggest that City got a nice soft schedule after their world club cup exertions; Everton, Sheffield Utd and Huddersfield between 22 December and 13 January. I don’t think that way though.
Some dude on here said they’d go top on Thursday nite.Its a classic
@colin coady: Some dude on here said that Wolves would be relegated.
@Bert Carolan: Again can’t comment underneath.
But isn’t Pep abit of a conspiracy theorist? Always moaning about the fixture list and how hard it is on his multi billion pound squad. I’d love to know what he has to say about it. Lol.
About 4 of that starting 11 no where good enough to be a starting 11 for a title winning team. Martilelli is up there with Rashford as being one of the most over rated players in years. The league is liverpools to loose.
@Red Rooster: 650 million spent since Arteta came in and only a point ahead of Spurs!! (Stole that from Twitter) no one’s to loose just yet. It could go to the last day if anything