Mikel Arteta admits that Arsenal could not cope with Crystal Palace’s energy and physicality during Monday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Selhurst Park, speaking to the Gunners’ official website.
If any moment summed up Arsenal’s performance in South London – by far and away their worst since the turn of the year, one of their worst of the whole Arteta era – it occurred late in the first half.
Thomas Partey, for what felt like the umpteenth time, misplaced a simple pass. And, in the blink of an eye, Palace turned defence into attack, Wilfried Zaha skipping through the thirds like a spring-heeled gazelle dancing around a pack of weary old lions.
Only a last-ditch block denied him a shot on goal.
Crystal Palace’s 3-0 thumping of Arsenal was not just their best display of the season, it was also vindication for all the work Patrick Vieira, Dougie Freedman and Steve Parish have done off the pitch in the last ten months or so.
Palace’s transformation – from ugly ducklings into preening swans, from backs-against-the-wall, two-banks-of-four into a team capable of beating a top Premier League side at their own game – has been nothing short of incredible.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Arsenal
“First of all, congratulations to Crystal Palace for winning the match and the way that they performed,” sighs Arteta, gracious in defeat.
“We weren’t at the races today, especially in the first half. We were late to every ball, we were soft in the duels and we didn’t earn the right to play. And, when we did, (we were) a little bit we were sloppy on the ball.
“Overall, it’s unacceptable.”
Arsenal just didn’t perform at Selhurst Park. Palace didn’t let them.
Zaha was unplayable, Jean-Philippe Mateta dominated a quivering Gabriel Magalhaes, while the central midfield trio of Jeffrey Schlupp, Cheikhou Kouyate and the irrepressible Conor Gallagher looked like three men who could cruise through an Ironman Triathlon while barely breaking sweat.
“We discussed it just before the kick-off; The way you win here is when you compete in the way that you should, and competing means winning duels and having composure on the pitch to manage the situations,” adds Arteta, admitting that his Arsenal side just couldn’t match Palace’s intensity and desire on the night.
“They are a really physical team. So you have to find ways to do other things that usually you don’t have to do, and we didn’t manage to do that.”
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