Arsenal’s performance against Crystal Palace was not good enough, asserts Mikel Arteta

With Arsenal in pole position to re-take the lead in the battle for the top four, the Gunners faced Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace in a game that many expected Arsenal to take. However, a poor first-half combined with an electric performance from the Eagles saw them walk into the break two goals to the good before a Wilfried Zaha penalty, in the second half, put the contest to bed.

It has many fans worried but Arsenal do have a game in hand over Tottenham and Manchester United, although the loss was out-of-character for their performances this season. But it did see Mikel Arteta admit that his side was poor against Palace which made it easier for the Eagles, who played really well on the night. The Arsenal boss further added that they struggled to play their football and didn’t show any intensity. 

"Congratulations to Palace for the game they played but we made it impossible for ourselves with the way we competed. You have to be physical and run and then you earn the right to play. We were really inconsistent on the ball and that is unacceptable. We were poor, especially in the first half. I apologise to our supporters,” Arteta told Sky Sports.

“We didn't have the presence today or the composure to dominate the situation so that is what I'm most annoyed with. Some days you are not there and you are late all the time. They got on top of it and had a good atmosphere and we could not get out.

"When we had the big chances we didn't score to give ourselves the best chance to get back in the game. First of all we need to put our hands up and get the criticism we deserve. Then we accept it, look ourselves in the mirror and look to the next game. This was not good enough. We have to face the challenge and the opportunity is in our hands. We have to be honest with ourselves and support each other,” he added.