Mikel Arteta says Arsenal cannot afford to feel sorry for himself after his side made unwanted club history with their loss to Chelsea on Sunday.
The Gunners lost 2-0 to their London rivals at Emirates Stadium thanks to first-half goals from Blues forward Romelu Lukaku and lively winger Reece James.
Arsenal lost their first Premier League game of the season to Brentford by the same score, making it the first time in their 118-year history in England’s first four levels that they opened a campaign with two losses on two without marking.
It is also the first time the North London side have ended a day in the relegation zone with more than one game played since August 1992, with pressure increasing on manager Arteta after spending £ 129million on new recruits.
The Spaniard admits Arsenal can’t complain about the loss to Chelsea and called for a quick response when they face West Brom in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, three days before traveling to Manchester City.
“Chelsea were the best team. When they play at their best, which I think they did today, they are European champions, have world class players and it’s hard to compete at that level “Arteta told Sky Sports.
“You can always do better. In the first half it took us a long time to get the ball back in wide areas. We conceded two goals but the way the team reacted and the crowd never abandoned, it gave us hope in the second.
“I see a lot of positives with the crowd. The way they’ve supported the team from the start. I’ve seen a good reaction. It’s one of the tough times. The circumstances are difficult and unprecedented.
“Self-pity doesn’t help. You have to win football games, stay the course and show wit. Start training tomorrow with the players who haven’t played. We have to win the game. game midweek and that will help against City next weekend. “
Arteta’s loss was his 20th as Arsenal manager in the Premier League in what was his 60th game, against 20 losses in his first 116 appearances in the competition for legendary Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal’s preparations for Arteta’s second full campaign in charge have been hampered by five players testing positive for the coronavirus, with Ben White the latest to be excluded from the Chelsea game after testing positive.
And Arteta believes his side can turn the tide once they regain their full strength, although the Spaniard has confirmed he does not expect White to be available for selection at the Etihad Stadium.
“It’s really difficult at the moment. We’re missing nine players and the majority of them are great senior players,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“The players we are taking out are doing their best, but at the moment it is not enough to win football matches. We try to explain when we can what we are up against, but the wait for this club is always to win.
“When the players are back and they also need time to come back, I hope it can be different. The good thing is that the story of football changes very quickly.”
Arsenal spoiled their one big chance against Chelsea when Rob Holding headed wide on the hour mark, but the hosts saw a big penalty appeal dismissed in the first half when James mingled with Bukayo Saka in the surface.
When asked if he thought his team should have received a penalty, Arteta replied: “Yes. It’s clear.”
