Mikel Arteta Demands More from Arsenal Players After West Ham Loss

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta slammed his team's performance despite injuries to key players, saying they didn't meet the required standards in their 1-0 loss to West Ham.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left fuming after his team's disappointing 1-0 loss to West Ham on Saturday, a result that has severely dented their Premier League title aspirations. Arteta lambasted his players for failing to meet the high standards required of a championship-winning team, and the defeat has left Arsenal eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The decisive moment of the match came just before halftime, as Jarrod Bowen scored his 50th Premier League goal with a well-taken header. This solitary strike proved to be the difference between the two teams, as Arsenal were unable to find an equalizer despite their efforts. The defeat marked Arsenal's first home loss of the season, and it has dealt a significant blow to their title hopes.

Arsenal's woes were further compounded when Myles Lewis-Skelly received his marching orders with 18 minutes remaining, earning the team's fifth red card of the season. This lack of discipline has been a recurring issue for Arteta's team, and it ultimately proved costly in their pursuit of a vital three points. With their title chances now hanging by a thread, Arsenal will need to regroup and refocus if they hope to revive their championship aspirations.

Liverpool's recent struggles as title favorites, which included dropped points at Everton and Aston Villa, seem to be a distant memory now. The Reds have a chance to extend their lead to a staggering 11 points when they face Manchester City on Sunday. This has left Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta feeling frustrated and helpless, as he acknowledged that the title race is no longer in their hands. “It's not in our hands,” Arteta said.

Arteta's disappointment and anger were palpable as he reflected on his team's 1-0 loss to West Ham. He felt that his players failed to meet the required standards, despite having 20 shots on goal. “I am really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands - which is the performance and the result - and we didn't do that as well as we possibly could,” Arteta said. “I am very disappointed, and obviously very angry as well. Even though we had 20 shots, I never felt that we were at the standard and the level that we needed.”

Injuries to key players have severely hampered Arsenal's title challenge, with almost their entire forward line sidelined. The likes of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, and Bukayo Saka were all absent, forcing midfielder Mikel Merino to play out of position as a center-forward. Arteta took responsibility for the team's performance, saying, “We have to be (angry), and I hope we are because we didn't hit the levels today, and I am very much responsible for that, so I am very, very angry.”

💬 "Let’s go through the pain; let’s analyse, look at ourselves in the mirror and on Monday we go again."

Mikel Arteta is keen for us to turn the page quickly with so many games still yet to play 👇

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 22, 2025

Mikel Arteta refused to use the injuries to his key players as an excuse for Arsenal's lackluster performance against West Ham. Instead, he demanded more from the players who were available, emphasizing that the team's standards were not met. “I refuse that completely because I am talking about the standards of the players and the team that we played today, me included,” Arteta said, taking responsibility for the team's shortcomings.

Arteta acknowledged that his team's desire and work ethic were not in question, but rather the quality of their performance. “We have to look in the mirror of ourselves of what we can do better,” he said. “The will, the desire, the way we run and the way we want it, (there is) zero question about that.” However, Arteta stressed that at the highest level, desire and effort alone are not enough to achieve success.

Arteta emphasized that to win games against top-quality opponents, Arsenal need to deliver performances with quality and precision. “But at that level that is not enough,” he said. “You have to deliver and it has to be with quality to break down a really good team, and put in the actions that can allow threatening moments to win games, and today we didn't do that.” Arteta's comments highlighted the need for his team to raise their standards and deliver more convincing performances if they hope to achieve their goals.