Mikel Arteta told of his “disappointment and frustration” after Arsenal were denied a win by an injury-time Sunderland goal at the Stadium of Light. A 94th-minute strike from the substitute Brian Brobbey claimed a point for the home side, who are fourth in the table.
“It’s not a nice feeling,” said Arteta. “It’s disappointment and frustration, because we wanted the three points. We had to navigate through a tough game. We knew that. [They were] very disruptive. We had to deal with situations that were obviously difficult to deal with.”
The former Arsenal academy player Dan Ballard had opened the scoring during a first half that had seemingly unsettled the visitors; asked how he felt when Arsenal’s club-record run of eight clean sheets was ended, Arteta said: “A pain in my tummy, because I don’t want to concede any goals.” His side improved after the break and took the lead through goals from Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard.
Arteta said of Sunderland’s opener: “We conceded a goal that was not in our standards, but after that, the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. Scored the first goal, scored the second goal, and we totally dominated the game.
“You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six, seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw, or it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better. And today we haven’t done it, we have conceded a goal.”
Even after Brobbey’s equaliser, Ballard had to block a Mikel Merino shot. Arteta said: “In the last minute, we had another massive chance to win, which I think we deserved.”
Régis Le Bris praised the “character” of his Sunderland team, whose motto in last season’s successful run in the Championship playoffs was: “Till the end”.
Mikel Arteta reacts to a missed opportunity for his league leaders. Photograph: Richard Lee/Shutterstock
“It shows that the team has a really strong character,” said Le Bris. “It’s still tough against a team like Arsenal, one of the best teams in Europe, so you have to do a masterclass, otherwise it’s impossible to win something.
“I think the first half was well balanced, we tried to defend high when possible, organised a deep block, really compact, narrow, aggressive, and we had the opportunity to manage the ball sometimes.
“The second half was a bit tougher, because you defend for long periods, and then you have to stay composed with the ball, and we still have a really young squad, really young players without great experience in the Premier League, so it’s a good lesson.
“I think we were just on the edge after the 2-1, and Arsenal were dominant, and they were able to keep the ball. But with the energy of the stadium, I think the characteristics of our players, and the background we have now, I think it’s really positive for this faith, and this belief, that we can change the dynamic.”
