Mikel Arteta admitted after Arsenal’s win over Newcastle United that his team need to do better with the ball and dominate games more.Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Arsenal earned a hard-fought three points against Newcastle United on Saturday, an absolute necessity given the current state of the Premier League title race.
The Gunners knew that even five wins from their remaining five games might not be enough to win the league, sitting level on points with Manchester City and at a marginal disadvantage in terms of goals scored. But to fail to win would have been devastating.
As a result, there were some mixed feelings after the game, with the much-needed win well received, but some disappointment that it only finished 1-0. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted to Sky Sports that he shares those feelings.
“With the ball there were moments where we have to do much better,” Arteta admitted. “We want to be much more dominant in the game.
“In many areas, in the way that we don’t finish actions, the amount of times that we get into positions [where] we have to have some end product and get set in the final third and continue there. [Instead], the play breaks up.
“But the important thing is the reaction to those plays when that happens.”
There’s an argument that Arsenal’s current goal should just be to win their games at all costs, regardless of the scoreline. If the Gunners can win at home to Fulham on Saturday, City would then be under a lot of pressure to win both of their games in hand over the following week to catch up.
Given those two games are away to Everton and at home against Brentford, two teams chasing Europe, there’s every chance they might slip up.
Newcastle and Fulham are also both teams that have given Arsenal a lot of problems in recent seasons. The Gunners could more reasonably hope to rack up goals against relegation-threatened teams like West Ham or Burnley, but it’s really all about the three points with Newcastle and Fulham.
But given Arsenal had the lead and the three points in their grasp on Saturday, it was disappointing to see a few chances to extend it going begging. Arteta is right to stress that those opportunities need to be taken in future.