Arteta on Man City loss – Arsenal lost to a keeper error and an offside
Admin Pat
Arsenal were once again humiliated at home by Mikel Arteta’s old team Man City and it wasn’t helped by conceding a Jesus header within three minutes of kickoff. The Gunners though did try to come back into the game and Lacazette returned the favour on the half hour mark and we went into the break level at 1-1.
But within ten minutes of the second half Runarsson’s keeper error gifted a very soft goal to Riyad Mahrez, and then Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte completed the rout. It was not a pretty second half, and Arteta yet again thought that the Gunners had lost through bad luck. “A really painful moment, again.” the boss told Arsenal.com.
“We started the game by conceding a really early and really soft goal and after that, in this moment, to get through that is obviously difficult. But the players reacted to be fair and they started to grow as the game was moving forwards. We scored a goal, a really good goal and after that I think that we were the better team for the next 25 minutes.
“But when we had the best moments in the game, we conceded another soft goal and that makes it even harder. But still, we kept going and we had an open situation where we could’ve played Laca through and we missed the pass and then they scored the third goal in an offside position. Obviously after that moment, the game is over.” LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: Gabriel Martinelli of Arsenal goes down injured during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 22, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City scores their team’s first goal during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 22, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Arsenal’s Icelandic goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson during the English League Cup quarter final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, in London on December 22, 2020. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (C) consoles Arsenal’s Icelandic goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson (R) after the English League Cup quarter final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, in London on December 22, 2020. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)Manchester City’s Algerian midfielder Riyad Mahrez (R) scores his team’s second goal during the English League Cup quarter final football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium, in London on December 22, 2020. (Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 22: A banner with an image of Mikel Arteta manager of Arsenal saying ‘there’s nobody better’ in the stands during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Emirates Stadium on December 22, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
His old boss Pep Guardiola refused to hear a bad word about Arteta after the game, and when the Spaniard was told that the Man City boss had said that the game turned on a keeper error and an offside, Arteta replied: “I don’t know if he was trying to be kind but those actions are reality but that reality is the difference between the two teams in certain moments, but not for the whole match. But still, you look at the game and that’s the story of the game in the end.”
Arteta had made 8 changes from the weekend’s team, but I was hoping our fringe players would show a bit more fight, but considering City haven’t lost in the League Cup for four whole years, we can’t really complain about their efforts.
Oh well, so now Arteta needs to get the first team prepared to face Chelsea on Boxing Day…
