Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his side had “the best chances in the game” against Manchester City but admits the Gunners’ inability to take their chances was the difference between the two sides in their 2-1 defeat.
MATCH REPORT: Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal
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For Arteta, it won’t matter that his side are not producing free-flowing football – the Gunners just want to get over the line and lift a trophy this season.
They are having to produce results without a number of key players, who are injured. Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori were unavailable to play against Sporting.
Declan Rice did play, despite being unwell.
And now there is fresh concern for the top of the table clash with Manchester City on Sunday, as winger Noni Madueke limped off with a knee injury.
When Arteta was asked if he sees the physical strain on his players at the moment, he said: “Yes, but when I see them track back when we lose the ball, the habits that they have, it’s just amazing.
“There is a reason why we are the only English team in the competition, because this league and this schedule takes the hell out of you and it’s very difficult to do what we’ve done.
“We are not perfect, we need to improve things, that’s for sure, we recognise that. But there’s value in what these players have done because they deserve it.”
Former Manchester City and QPR defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Sport: “The fact that they are in their second consecutive Champions League semi-final is huge. Their performance itself wasn’t perfect, but they just wanted to be in that next round, and that’s exactly where they are.
“On a different day, maybe they would create more chances, and perhaps they would actually score more goals. They didn’t create very much, but they are still in the last four.”
Onuoha referenced words from captain Rice, who said Arsenal just wanted to “go one step further”.
“They will look at this game and the things they could have done better, but the fact is there are plenty of clubs around Europe who aren’t in their position now who would be absolutely delighted to be there,” he said.
“It certainly wasn’t a statement performance like some teams around Europe have done in this last couple of matchdays, however Arsenal still have shown they have just as good a chance as everyone else.
“We’ve seen a Real Madrid side, for example, that have scored four goals across two ties and have been knocked out.
“Arsenal, they only needed one, so you can give them credit for the two clean sheets they’ve had across the two ties and that’s what they needed to be in this particular moment.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says his side “had a point to prove” following back-to-back defeats and praises his side’s reaction, as Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time winner secures a first-leg advantage in their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting.
MATCH REPORT: Sporting CP 0-1 Arsenal
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When Arsenal face Sporting in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday, there will be much more riding on the game than just a knockout match in Lisbon.
For many, this is where the Gunners need to show back-to-back defeats, against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and the damaging loss to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final, will not leak into their European and Premier League campaigns.
Arsenal have been tagged as the ‘nearly men’ under Mikel Arteta with three successive second-placed finishes in the Premier League in the last three seasons.
But the Gunners have played a ruthless style of football this season, which has seen them establish a nine-point lead in the Premier League, reach the final of one cup competition and, depending what happens in two legs against Sporting, at least the quarter-final stage of the two other cup campaigns they began.
Their style of play has been questioned at times but now it is the team’s mentality that is coming under the spotlight.
The Gunners have been so impressive this season that their defeats by City and Saints are the first time they have lost successive matches this campaign, while the loss on the south coast was just the fifth of the season.
But, with the Champions League and Premier League the top prizes for the Gunners, this is where Arteta needs to show the pain of coming so close in precious campaigns is not going to overwhelm his side as they look to win their first major trophy since 2020.
“Have some perspective about how difficult it is what we have done until now,” said Arteta, when asked how he and the team prevent a longer run of defeats.
“Feel the pain, feel the emotion and use it to be better and improve.”
Following the Carabao Cup final defeat by Manchester City earlier this month, defender William Saliba confirmed he would not be joining up with France because of an ankle injury.
His centre-back partner Gabriel then withdrew from the Brazil squad with a knee problem.
They were later joined by England forward Eberechi Eze (calf), Norway midfielder Martin Odegaard (knee) and Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber (groin) – who all missed the cup final defeat at Wembley through injury – as well as Belgium forward Leandro Trossard (hip).
After players joined up with their respective countries, five more from Arsenal withdrew – England trio Declan Rice (knock), Bukayo Saka (knock) and Noni Madueke (injured his knee against Uruguay) as well as Spain’s Martin Zubimendi (knee) and Ecuador’s Piero Hincapie (undisclosed).
Arteta said his players were “desperate” to play for their countries.
“When you are fit and available to play for the national team, you have to play,” he added.
“It makes us so proud that we had that many players in the national team.
“Players are desperate to play for their nation. I know how important it is to them. We are fully supportive of that and when we can do it, we do it.”
Premier League leaders Arsenal are in FA Cup quarter-final action on Saturday as they visit in-form Championship side Southampton (20:00 BST).
Arteta confirmed Eze will miss the game through injury, but Odegaard and Timber are in contention to return, while Madueke’s injury is not as bad as first feared and is a doubt.
Asked how many of those 11 players who withdrew from international duty will be available for selection against the Saints, Arteta added: “You will see. I will let you do the speculation. You can judge afterwards.
“We are in a position right now where we need to make the strongest line-up we possibly can to win every competition.
“We are two or three games away from the FA Cup and we know how important that competition is for us.”