“We are not good enough” — Mikel Arteta slams his players

A 2-2 draw that feels very much like a defeat for both Chelsea and Arsenal has left Mikel Arteta facing the reality that stared at him in the game.

The Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta criticized his players for their performances in the game, slamming their lack of purpose during the first half of their Premier League clash with Chelsea on Saturday.

The Gunners found themselves trailing after a penalty was awarded to Chelsea due to a handball incident involving William Saliba, which Cole Palmer successfully converted.

Mykhailo Mudryk extended Chelsea’s lead with a cross-shot that eluded David Raya.

However, Arteta’s team managed to salvage a point, thanks to goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard.

Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment with the first-half performance, stating,

“We played without enough purpose in the first half. I didn’t like it. Credit to the players and the team that we faced. We created the biggest problems for ourselves.

“If we cannot win, we don’t have to lose. We’ll take some learnings from the game.”

The draw against Chelsea leaves Arsenal still unbeaten in the Premier League this season after nine fixtures. They entered the match following a 1-0 victory over reigning champions Manchester City.

Despite the challenging start against Chelsea, Arsenal demonstrated their resilience with late goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard, securing a valuable point at Stamford Bridge.