Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal deserved to beat Everton on Sunday after “dominating” the Toffees.
Arsenal enjoyed 77% possession and 13 shots on target but created only one big chance as they once again struggled to create from open play, with Everton only too happy to sit deep and frustrate their opponents on the way to an open game. 0-0 tie.
It was a missed opportunity for arsenal to close the gap with Liverpool, which went down with their own surprise draw with Fulhamand Arteta argued that the final result was unfair on his part.
“I feel very disappointed not to win the match, because, obviously, if there is a team that deserved to win, there is only one, which is Arsenal,” argued Arteta. “We didn’t give anything away, we didn’t concede shots, we dominated our game, we didn’t let them run, not even on set pieces. High press, excellent. We got them.
“We created the chances, but the last 20 meters were not enough to score goals, which is what you have to do with all the dominance because we have never been able to dominate it like that. But in the end you have to try to generate. the highest probability to win, now that you draw, you want more, even if we win it, I can’t ask for more from the boys other than to put the ball in the net.
Arteta admitted that teaching players how to create those crucial moments in front of goal is not a particularly easy task.
“This is hard,” he said. “In the end you need the spark and you have to be precise.
“I mean, we had the chances, that could have been two or three nil, and nobody talks about it. The reality is 0-0, and they won’t talk about all the incredible things the team did in the game.
“I mean, it’s certainly not energy. When I see my team’s fullback, it’s amazing. Every three days, 70 yards, the whole team goes there. It’s really hard to ask them for anything else because they want it.”
