‘We made it impossible for ourselves’: Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta issues an apology to fans after ‘unacceptable’ 3-0 defeat at Crystal Palace deals a major blow to the Gunners’ Champions League qualification hopes
- Arsenal suffered a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Monday night
- The Gunners hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dealt a blow
- Mikel Arteta has issued an apology to Gunners fans for ‘unacceptable’ display
Mikel Arteta issued an apology to Arsenal supporters as he branded his team’s performance at Crystal Palace as ‘unacceptable’.
The Gunners’ hopes of qualifying for the Champions League were dealt a major blow after falling to comprehensive 3-0 loss at Selhurst Park meaning they remain in fifth, level on points with arch-rivals Tottenham who are in fourth – but crucially the Gunners have a game in hand.
Arteta said: ‘We made it impossible for ourselves with the way we competed. We were inconsistent on the ball and at this level it was unacceptable.
Arsenal suffered a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, a loss which hit their Champions League hopes
Manager Mikel Arteta issued an apology to the club’s supporters after the major setback
‘We apologise to our supporters and take the challenge. We didn’t have the presence or real composure, that is what I’m really concerned with.
‘Today, too many things went wrong at the same time. We weren’t at the races, we were late to every ball especially in the first half and didn’t earn right to play.’
To compound Arteta’s misery, key midfielder Thomas Partey limped off with recurrence of a thigh injury that Arteta admitted he was worried about.
Key midfielder Thomas Partey (pictured, left) limped off with recurrence of a thigh injury
Likewise, Arteta confirmed that first-choice left-back Kieran Tierney, who missed last night’s defeat, will see a specialist today after sustaining a knee injury during the international break that has raised fears he could miss the rest of the season.
‘We will know more about the injury after he sees the specialist but the feeling that he has isn’t really positive and the scans have shown (positivity) either,’ said Arteta.
On Partey’s injury, Arteta added: ‘We don’t how bad the injury is but he felt something in the same area that he got injured previously so it’s a big concern.’
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira added: ‘I’m really proud. We played a really good game of football.
Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira (pictured) was proud of his side after their memorable win
‘We defended well and took our chances. We scored in important moments of the game.
‘We needed a big team performance and we did it so we’re really pleased.
‘We wanted to put pressure on and the atmosphere in the stadium allowed us to take that kind of risk.
‘We were really smart with the way we defended from the front and took the chances to score goals.’
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