Interview

‘I cannot fault the attitude of the players’

Ben White
Ben White

Despite slipping to a 1-0 defeat against Southampton on Saturday, Mikel Arteta was quick to back his players in his post-match interview. 

We created a number of golden chances at St Mary’s and fought until the final whistle, but were ultimately unable to find a way past Fraser Forster. 

We spoke to our manager after the game - and this is what he said: 

on the result...

I'm very frustrated and disappointed because when you see what happened on the pitch, to concede and lose the football match I think it's very difficult scenario to imagine. We tried to do everything that we could have done in the best possible way, I can not fault the attitude of the players. I think it's the opposite, the way they played as well but at the end of the day you have to put the ball in the net in the opponent's half and we didn't for various reasons. One, because their keeper was exceptional and because the amount of situations that we created, we needed more quality to finish them off.

on fighting for every ball...

I want to be behind my players because they deserve that, because I know what stage of their career they are and what they need and how they try every single day. To come here and play the way they played today and lose the match, this is football. It's not like basketball where you have 20 shots and the opponent has one, you're always going to win and in football that doesn't happen. 

on the importance of belief...

It's another game gone and the situation hasn't changed much but again I said it weeks ago, it's about us, how we perform, the results that we have to pick up and the rest will come.

on the fans...

They were incredible. Thank you so much for everybody that came here, the way they supported the team, and what they continue to do throughout the season with the team.

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