Mikel Arteta laments defensive lapses that finished off Arsenal’s title hopes

‘We are not at that level,’ admits manager about Manchester City‘We can’t put the guilt on someone. We should have been better’

Mikel Arteta lamented the defensive shortcomings of recent weeks as he tried to come to terms with the disappointment of a 1-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest that confirmed Manchester City would win the title. A blunt Arsenal became the first side in 16 games to fail to score against Forest, but a league they led for a record 248 days was not lost on Saturday. Arsenal, rather, were undone by a run of two wins in eight games that began with throwing away a 2-0 lead away at Liverpool.

“We conceded a lot of goals in those games, 16 goals,” Arteta said. “16 goals – it’s a lot.” Against a rival like City, that is too many. “You have to be exceptional in everything,” he went on. “They [Forest] are not a team that gives you any margins and we have extended those margins too far. Today we gave them a goal and chances for another goal. We can’t put the guilt on someone. We should have been better as a team and in the last few weeks we have fallen short.”

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