Arteta admits ‘big punch in the face’ after Arsenal’s title blow

Mikel Arteta pulled no punches after Arsenal’s 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth dealt a significant blow to their Premier League title hopes, insisting the reaction from his players in the coming days will define whether this season delivers what has eluded the club for 22 years.

Junior Kroupi gave the visitors the lead on 17 minutes with an easy back-post finish after Myles Lewis-Skelly was caught out at the far post, before Viktor Gyokeres equalised from the spot shortly before half-time.

But Alex Scott drove through a weakened Arsenal midfield to restore Bournemouth’s lead on 74 minutes, and despite a final surge from the home side, the Gunners could not find a way through. Boos rang around the Emirates at full-time.

“Disappointing,” Arteta told TNT Sports. “It’s a big punch in the face and it’s about how we react now. They are a team who haven’t lost for 11 games for a reason, they did a lot right.

“We were far from efficient. The first chance they had to attack the box, it’s a deflection, a bad defending action and it’s a goal. That’s something we have to recover from.”

A Week That Will Define Arsenal’s Season

The timing could hardly be worse. Manchester City, nine points behind going into the weekend, face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and could cut the gap to six – with a game in hand and a head-to-head at the Etihad still to come on April 19.

Arteta conceded that his side were well below the level required, but stopped short of panicking about the overall picture in the race for the crown.

“The second half you expect a different game,” he said. “We did a lot of strange things today. We have been very consistent. This can happen, this is football.”

On whether the players were feeling the pain of the result, he added: “A lot. It has to hurt. They have to take it on the chin. You stand up and go for the fight or you’re out.

“It’s a big week. A lot at stake. We’re still in a good position in both competitions.”

Still fighting on two fronts

That big week begins on Wednesday when Sporting Lisbon visit the Emirates for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Arsenal hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg, but the mood going into it will need to shift considerably from what was on display here.

The league loss was Arsenal’s third in four matches across all competitions – following the Carabao Cup final defeat to City and the FA Cup exit to Southampton – and Arteta’s use of the word “consistent” felt deliberate.

The long run of quality that has put them at the top of the table should not be buried under one bad afternoon.

But the way they responded then, with a bounce-back win over Sporting in midweek, is now exactly what is required again.

Bournemouth, unbeaten in 11 Premier League games, were compact, dangerous on the break and fully deserving of their win. For Arsenal, the next seven days will say everything about whether this squad has what it takes when the pressure is at its greatest.