Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, couldn’t hide his frustration after his team’s disappointing draw against Sunderland, admitting that he made a poor selection choice. The Spanish tactician expressed regret over fielding a particular player who underperformed, saying the game was below the club’s usual standards. After a long stretch of victories, Arsenal’s momentum came crashing down in a match that didn’t reflect the intensity or precision fans have come to expect.
The encounter at the Stadium of Light proved tough from the start. Within 90 intense minutes, Arsenal conceded two goals — as many as they had let in since late August. Sunderland’s Dan Ballard, once a member of Arsenal’s academy, opened the scoring with a strike that left the visitors visibly rattled. That goal also brought to an end the Gunners’ impressive run of 881 minutes without conceding.
Sunderland’s first goal didn’t come as a complete surprise. They had tested Arsenal moments earlier with a similar long free-kick routine. When the ball broke loose again, Ballard reacted quickly, slipping past Declan Rice and smashing a volley past David Raya into the top corner. The home crowd erupted, while Arsenal’s backline stood stunned by the simplicity of the move.
For Ballard, the goal carried deep personal meaning — scoring against the club that raised him. But for Arteta, it was agony. He later confessed that watching his team’s defensive streak collapse left him “with a pain in my stomach.” The manager admitted the team failed to meet its defensive standards, lamenting that such goals were preventable if only his side had remained sharper in their positioning.
Despite the early setback, Arsenal regrouped after halftime. Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard both found the net, flipping the game on its head. For a while, it seemed like the Londoners were on course to snatch all three points. But as the clock ticked toward full time, chaos struck again. Ballard’s flick-on inside the box set up Brian Brobbey, who buried the equalizer in stoppage time, stunning the Gunners and their fans alike.
In his post-match interview, Arteta sounded deeply disappointed. “The last feeling is frustration because we wanted the three points,” he said. He emphasized that Arsenal had to improve both defensively and in possession. To him, the dropped points were a painful reminder that even small lapses could undo hours of hard work. The only way forward, he added, was to learn from the mistakes and keep pushing.
At halftime, Arteta’s message to his players wasn’t long or fiery — it was simple: “Win your duels.” Defender Riccardo Calafiori later explained that the manager urged everyone to dominate individual battles, knowing that control of those moments would allow Arsenal to impose their rhythm. The players tried to respond, but Sunderland refused to be outmuscled.
Ironically, the statistics showed that Arsenal’s fight weakened in the second half. After winning 57% of their duels before the break, the number dropped to 52% later on. That dip proved costly when Sunderland capitalized on back-to-back lost challenges to grab their late equalizer. Reflecting on the result, Calafiori admitted that Arsenal played better overall but paid the price for one moment of carelessness — proof, he said, of how unforgiving football can be at this level.
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