Fuming Arteta rips into Arsenal flops after Fulham draw as he rages ‘over my dead body can you concede against ten men’
BOSS Mikel Arteta ripped into his Arsenal side for surrendering two vital points to ten-man Fulham.
The Spaniard raged: “We have to show another level of commitment and desire. Over my dead body, against ten men, you cannot concede a goal.”
Gunners chief Arteta was fuming at Bukayo Saka’s early blunder which led to them conceding a first-minute goal for the THIRD time in their last nine home games.
And he was just as unhappy with Joao Palhinha’s 87th-minute equaliser after Calvin Bassey had been sent-off for two yellow cards.
Arteta added: “It’s incredible we didn’t get three points after everything we created. We have to look at ourselves.
“We gave two goals away and we should have done so much more with all the opportunities we generated. We should have scored five, six, seven, I don’t know how many.
“We drew because we conceded two very poor goals and in this league when you give away goals like that you’re going to get punished.
“We made life really difficult for ourselves with another mistake in the first minute to give them a goal and when you get back to 2-1 ahead you have to defend the box with your life.
“You cannot concede that equaliser against ten men after everything we’d done to win the game.”
Andreas Pereira cashed in on Saka’s error to embarrass keeper Aaron Ramsdale at his near post.
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But England ace Saka levelled from the spot on 70 minutes.
Substitute Eddie Nketiah fired the Gunners in front less than two minutes later but Palhinha levelled soon after Bassey was dismissed.
Former Arsenal Invincible Martin Keown said: “Performances like this at home towards the end of last season are what stopped Arsenal going on to win the title.
“They have to learn from that.”
Arteta was quick to defend £65million Kai Havertz, who struggled before being substituted.
He said: “Today was tough for him but I’m sure he will win the fans over.”