SOCCER: Time to show what we're made of, says Arteta, after Arsenal setback

LONDON — Winning a Premier League title is never easy, and Arsenal received a harsh reminder of that on Sunday after a 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United. The loss has increased the pressure on the north London club as they continue their title chase.

Earlier this season, Mikel Arteta’s side looked set to pull away at the top of the table. Liverpool has struggled, and Manchester City has not been as dominant as in previous years. With both City and Aston Villa dropping points recently, Arsenal had the chance to build a strong lead as they pursue their first league title in 22 years.

Instead, Arsenal has collected only two points from their last three games, and their lead has been reduced to four points with 15 matches remaining. Sunday’s defeat marked their first home loss of the season across all competitions.

Arteta admitted that such setbacks are part of a title race.

“If you want to win the title, you have to go through moments like this,” he said. “It’s unrealistic to win every game. The margins are very small, and today they were even smaller because of how we played.”

The defeat was sealed by stunning second-half goals from Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha, giving United their first league victory at Arsenal since 2017.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard described the performance as “not good enough,” while club legend Patrick Vieira, who captained Arsenal’s Invincibles to their last league title in 2004, urged the team to return to basics.

“They need to express themselves, play with freedom, and go forward,” Vieira said. “There were too many players who didn’t perform today. It was a must-win game, and they needed to send a message to the rest of the league.”

Arsenal now looks to bounce back on Wednesday when they face Kairat Almaty in the Champions League. They will then return to Premier League action next weekend against Leeds United.

Forward Bukayo Saka emphasized the need for resilience.

“The journey isn’t always smooth,” he said. “There will be ups and downs. It’s up to us to show our character next week.” -Reporting by Martyn HermanEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters