Arteta makes ‘VERY ANGRY’ admission as Arsenal rue transfer failures

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted he is “very, very angry” following his side’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham United on Saturday.

A first-half header from Jarrod Bowen sealed a huge win for Graham Potter’s side at the Emirates Stadium and left Arsenal eight points behind Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title.

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The Gunners were without the likes of Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus for the visit of the Hammers and their failure to sign a new forward during the winter transfer window now looks like a huge oversight.

Arsenal are expected to land a centre forward this summer, amid interest in Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak, but Arteta will already be rueing his side’s inability to bring attacking reinforcements to the club in January, despite his recent comments.

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What has Mikel Arteta said?

After the defeat to West Ham, Arteta was asked whether his side’s injury crisis was the reason behind the result.

“I refuse that completely,” he replied. “I’m talking about the standards of the players and the team we played today, me included.

“We have to look in the mirror [for] what we can do better, and the will, the desire, the way we run and the way we want [to be champions].

“You have to deliver and it has to be with quality to break down a really good team. We have to play much better, and with more quality. We have to be very disappointed. It’s a very painful loss.”

He added: “I’m really, really annoyed with the things that are in our hands – which is the performance and the result.

“[We were] nowhere near the levels that we have to hit to have the opportunity to win a Premier league. I’m very much responsible for that, so I’m very, very angry.”