Mikel Arteta admits that he felt badly for the Arsenal fans after yesterday’s defeat, insisting that they were ‘incredible’ on the day as Chelsea clinched the victory.
The Gunners were beaten 2-0 by Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium yesterday, with the Blues scoring inside the opening 15 minutes before adding a second 20 minutes later.
This was far from the ideal way to mark the return of a full-capacity Emirates crowd, nor was it was the fans deserved after supporting our side throughout the match, and Mikel Arteta admits that it was far from the spectacle that they had envisaged for the fanbase.
“It’s another defeat, the second one of the season which is really tough to take,” the manager admitted after full-time(via Arsenal.com). “Chelsea deserved to win, I think they were the better side overall. We had moments at the start of the first half and at the beginning of the second half.
“After conceding the goal they started to manage the game exactly how they wanted. When we had them in good areas and without the ball with our press they still managed to come out with the incredible quality that they have. They showed in moments why they are the champions of the Champions League.
“What I liked about the team is that at 2-0 they never gave up, they tried right up to 90 minutes. With our limitations, because at the moment we are missing eight or nine players.
“I’m sad, sad for the fans because we really wanted to give them something special today. Even though we know the circumstances we have with the team at the moment, and not being able to do that and enjoy this moment with them is sad.”
Arteta went onto add that the fans were ‘incredible’ throughout their return to the stadium, and really tried to get behind the team.
“It was incredible, I think they really tried, they really wanted to push the team,” Arteta stated. “Right from the beginning they were right behind them. At the end in the second half they were trying to push us and give us energy that we needed. And of course there is disappointment, we are here to win football matches, and we can’t expect anything different.”
It was far from the desired result, but the fans deserve credit for their input yesterday, and the fans could well be able to play a part in our resurgence, as the team certainly needs an extra push at present, while some fortune on the injury front would definitely be welcomed also.
Can the fans play a key role in helping Arsenal get their season going?
Patrick