Romari Forde and Michal Rosiak put the Gunners in the lead in the first half but the side eventually fell to a Spurs comeback in the second half which Ali says is simply not good enough.
“We’re frustrated with how things turned out, especially after our first-half performance," Ali told the club's website. "We started the game very well and looked comfortable. We created opportunities, and although Spurs found their rhythm and moved the ball well, we stayed compact and organised.
“Our aggression paid off and we took advantage, scoring two goals. As the half progressed, we had even more chances to extend our lead—14 attempts with 6 on target in the first half alone."
Despite the strong start in the first half, Ali’s side crumbled in the second which he says is a huge lesson for every member of the squad.
"It was a game of two halves. Credit to Spurs—they came out with more fight. They were aggressive and we conceded some really poor goals, which was disappointing. They got crosses into the box and we didn’t deal with them properly. At 2-2, I felt we needed to be braver. I wanted the players to step up, but it just wasn’t good enough in the second half. Based on that performance, Spurs deserved the win."
“The boys know they can play better, and as a coaching team, we’re disappointed. But that’s football—there’s always another game to put things right. The key is learning from this. You can’t dominate the first half and then fail to step up when the opponent raises their level. We need to take a good look at ourselves and go again."