Gunners Boss Admits “Dropped Standards” in Costly Draw, Urges Improvement Before Champions League Semi-Final
Mikel Arteta delivered a frank assessment of Arsenal’s shortcomings after their 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, demanding an immediate response ahead of their season-defining Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
The Arsenal manager watched in frustration as his side twice surrendered leads at the Emirates, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s spectacular late equalizer capping a performance Arteta branded below the required standard.
“We didn’t find enough consistency in our actions to dominate the game,” Arteta admitted. “In many aspects we should have done better. We dropped our standards today and that’s not acceptable.”
The result effectively ends Arsenal’s fading Premier League title hopes, leaving Liverpool needing just one point against Tottenham to clinch the trophy. But Arteta insisted his players hadn’t been distracted by next week’s European showdown.
“There’s no excuse about focus being elsewhere,” he stressed. “We had enough time to prepare for this match and we simply didn’t deliver what was needed to win.”
With key players still sidelined, including makeshift striker Mikel Merino who missed Wednesday’s game, Arteta acknowledged his squad faces a crucial recovery period before facing PSG.
“We have six days to prepare for the most important game of our season,” he said. “We need this time to get players back to full strength and rediscover our energy.”
The Spaniard’s frustration was palpable as he analyzed another game where Arsenal failed to kill off opponents – their ninth drawn match from winning positions this season.
“We gave the ball away in simple ways and were late in everything we did,” Arteta lamented. “When you do that against any Premier League team, you make life difficult for yourself.”
As attention now turns decisively to European glory, Arteta’s challenge is clear: lift his team’s performance level dramatically within six days, or risk their season ending in bitter disappointment.
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