Arteta Rues Missed Chances as Arsenal Settle for Draw at Everton

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left frustrated after a controversial penalty decision contributed to his side's 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park.

Mikel Arteta was left fuming after Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, with the Gunners boss strongly disagreeing with the decision to award Everton a penalty for a foul by Myles Lewis-Skelly. Arteta felt that the penalty call changed the course of the game, and after reviewing the incident 15 times, he's adamant that it wasn't a penalty.

The draw has significant implications for Arsenal's Premier League title hopes, as they now trail leaders Liverpool by 11 points, having played a game more. Liverpool will look to extend their advantage when they face Fulham on Sunday. Arteta's frustration with the penalty decision was compounded by his team's inability to capitalize on their chances, with Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford making several outstanding saves.

Despite the setback, Mikel Arteta is already looking ahead to Arsenal's Champions League quarterfinal clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday. He described the match as “one of the most beautiful games in football” and is eager for his team to bounce back from the disappointment of the Everton draw.

Leandro Trossard's goal had given Arsenal the lead, but their advantage was short-lived. A lack of concentration in dealing with a long diagonal ball early in the second half led to Everton winger Jack Harrison going to ground under the challenge of Myles Lewis-Skelly, resulting in a penalty being awarded. The incident drew parallels with an earlier match at Goodison Park, where Everton's penalty claim against Manchester United was overturned due to VAR intervention.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was adamant that the penalty call was incorrect. “For me, it is never a penalty,” Arteta told TNT Sports, choosing not to elaborate further on the incident. Arteta's frustration with the result was palpable, as he expressed his disappointment with the outcome. “I'm very unhappy with the result. It is a very tough place to come, very physical and direct if you don't deal with (that) well, you never get any momentum.”

Arteta acknowledged that his team's performance in the second half was subpar, particularly in the opening minutes. “We went ahead to find more control and generate more chances. But the start of the second half was very poor, we gave the ball away and had indecision over what to do,” he reflected. This lapse in concentration ultimately proved costly for Arsenal, as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Mikel Arteta: “We conceded a penalty that, in my opinion, was NOT a penalty, very clear. There is not enough contact & the contact starts outside, inside there is nothing.” 😤

🎥 @beINSPORTS_EN pic.twitter.com/GDDxjsXWe0

— afcstuff (@afcstuff) April 5, 2025

Mikel Arteta lamented Arsenal's inability to capitalize on several scoring opportunities in the second half, which ultimately proved costly. While acknowledging that Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made some exceptional saves, Arteta emphasized that his team's finishing was not up to par. “We had some big chances and did not finish them well apart from the goal. They (Everton) did not generate anything at all apart from the penalty.”

The draw marked Arsenal's 11th stalemate of the season, a statistic that Arteta knows must improve if his team is to mount a serious title challenge. With Liverpool consistently winning and pulling away at the top of the table, Arteta recognizes the need for his team to accumulate more victories. “You have to win many more games (to be champions), especially when there is a team (Liverpool) that is constantly winning,” he admitted.

With little time to dwell on the disappointing result, Arsenal's focus will quickly shift to their upcoming Champions League quarterfinal clash against Real Madrid on Tuesday. Arteta had taken the opportunity to rotate his squad and give some players a rest ahead of the match, but ultimately, he had hoped to secure all three points against Everton. “We managed to give minutes to certain players and rested others (ahead of Tuesday), but we wanted the three points,” Arteta said.