Tribal Football

Arteta opens up on losing unbeaten run and Arsenal's poor discipline

Arteta opens up on losing unbeaten run and Arsenal's poor discipline
Arteta opens up on losing unbeaten run and Arsenal's poor disciplineAction Plus
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken about his team’s unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign ending at the weekend.

The Gunners lost 2-0 to Bournemouth after going down to ten men due to a William Saliba red card early in the contest.

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Arteta told reporters about what he said to the players after the game: “Well, very clear, put a bit of perspective into the situation. Obviously we want to win in any context, the reality is that we have made that context very difficult to ourselves. 

“It was very difficult already with the amount of players that we had out and the schedule and the games that we had to play, but that's the reality. And for that game we didn't get away with it, we could have done, and it could have been a very different narrative. The reality is we didn't.

“And now the context is that we have lost one game in six months. And, OK, now we have to win again, win in the context that we have lost for the first time in six months. So, let's show it.”

He added on his team getting three red cards in the league already this term: “Well, I mean, playing with 10 men, obviously there is an issue. The truth is when you analyse the three very different actions and the outcome of them, the reasons are very different. 

“Regardless of that, we cannot continue to play with 10 men, especially at this level. And you see how struggling, all the teams have to win football matches. When you want to do it against 10 men for 65 minutes, the task becomes almost impossible. So, we need to eradicate that. It's clear why, the reason and how, it doesn't matter. We have to focus and it has to happen.”