Tottenham Hotspur capitalized on Jorginho’s mistake to score the equalizer against Arsenal only a minute after the Gunners had made it 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium, and as a result took a point from the Emirates.
The draw proved costly for Arsenal as they remain fifth on the Premier League table, four points behind leaders and defending champions Manchester City.
While talking to Sky Sports after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta commented on the Jorginho error and expressed his backing for the Italian midfielder.
“I love him, errors are part of football. We are all with him.” Arteta told Sky Sports.
Arteta also reflected on his team’s subpar performance against the bitter rivals.
“We are disappointed not to get the three points that’s for sure. Especially when you go in front twice, especially the moments when we conceded and we could have scored 2-0 with Gabby Jesus. The second goal affected the team emotionally and it became a transitional game, which is a risk if you play against them [Tottenham].”
Arsenal were second-best in passes (370 against 435), pass accuracy (84% against 85%), and ball possession (46% against 54%) which is rare for the Gunners, especially in their own backyard.
Arteta admitted Arsenal lacked composure with the ball.
“We lacked the quality in the final third. The energy the boys put in, the attitude was phenomenal. But we lacked composure on the ball against a really good Spurs side
“Credit to them [Tottenham], they have the quality and chances to do that. We have simple giveaways and we didn’t do enough in certain areas to spread out in certain areas.”
Arsenal did not only lose the points but also lost record signing Declan Rice to injury. The England international was substituted at half-time with a back injury.
The severity of this injury, his recovery timeline, and return date are yet to be determined.
