Mikel Arteta confident Arsenal will respond to dramatic Aston Villa loss
Emiliano Buendia scored deep into stoppage time to inflict the Premier League leaders’ first defeat since August.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta expects his side to bounce back after their title ambitions stuttered with a dramatic defeat at Aston Villa.
Emiliano Buendia scored with the last kick of the match to end the Gunners’ 11-game unbeaten run in the league after Leandro Trossard had earlier cancelled out Matty Cash’s opener.
The defeat will have proved a perfect tonic for Manchester City, who were taking on Sunderland in a 3pm kick-off and had the chance to move within two points of the Gunners, while Villa also entered the race on the back of their win.
The Gunners have a nervous disposition when it comes to sticking around in title races due to recent history, but Arteta is expecting a strong response.
“That is the league, you go to Old Trafford, you go to St James’ Park, you go to Chelsea, you come here, we have been in a lot of difficult grounds,” he said.
“The result could have been different, the reality is not. We went 18 games unbeaten (in all competitions) and still we are there, close to each other.
“That is the level of the league, we know that. That is the opportunity that we have ahead of us and that’s it.
“Now it is time to bounce back, they have given me all the right reasons to think we are going to perform at the same level. We move on. We will learn from today and it will make us a better team.
“It’s five months into the competition and so far we have coped. We are going to have to prove we can cope again, again, again for another six months.
“That is the level. People who think at this moment we are going to be 10 points clear live in a different world.”
The Gunners were dealt a further blow, with Arteta revealing Cristhian Mosquera’s ankle injury is worse than first feared.
“He is going to be out for weeks, unfortunately,” the boss added. “It is much more than we were expecting, so he is going to be out for weeks.”
Villa boss Unai Emery is not accepting it, but his side are also contenders to win the league after a brilliant turnaround in form.
They did not win in the opening five games and were in the relegation zone but have since gone on to win nine of the next 10 and are a match for anyone.
“I am not thinking (about the title), I know 38 matches is going to be very difficult, we are not contenders,” the Spaniard said. “If we were in game 35 like we are now, maybe I could speak different.
“Three points is giving us a lot of confidence.
“In the table, of course, now we are feeling better than two months ago.
“Arsenal are favourites to win this title, of course, we must get balance, because we got balance when we were in the bottom.
“Now we must get balance and try to play each match, game by game.”
