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Mikel Arteta dismissed suggestions that Arsenal’s 1-1 draw against Brentford on Saturday was a result of his players being distracted by their upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid.
Needing all three points at the Emirates to maintain their faint Premier League title hopes, the Gunners saw Thomas Partey’s second-half opener cancelled out by Yoane Wissa’s strike in the 74th minute—effectively extinguishing their pursuit of leaders Liverpool.
The performance lacked the spark Arsenal showed in their midweek 3-0 dismantling of Madrid in the first leg of their quarter-final tie. But Arteta was adamant that minds were not drifting toward the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.
“The feeling I got from the players was clear—it wasn’t about distraction,” said Arteta. “To prepare properly for the big games, you must approach each one with the same intensity and desire to win.”
While Arsenal dominated possession and carved out chances, they failed to sustain control, and their defending for Brentford’s equaliser left much to be desired.
“We’re disappointed with the result. We had full control and gave away a poor goal. Against teams like Brentford, you get punished for that,” the Spaniard added.
Despite playing the final moments with 10 men after using all substitutions and suffering an injury to Jorginho, Arsenal still pushed for a winner, squandering two clear opportunities.
“You can’t blame energy. We play every three days—it’s what we do. There are no excuses.”
The draw leaves Arsenal 10 points behind league leaders Liverpool, with just six matches remaining, while the Reds still have seven to play. Arsenal have now won just twice in their last seven league games, handing the initiative firmly to Arne Slot’s side.
If Liverpool defeat West Ham on Sunday and Arsenal lose at Ipswich next weekend, a win for the Reds later that day at Leicester would be enough to clinch the title.
“It’s certainly an opportunity missed,” Arteta admitted. “We wanted the three points to keep the pressure on. We have to look at ourselves, especially at how we conceded.”
Attention now turns to Madrid, in what Arteta described as “the most beautiful game of the season”. However, he may be without Jorginho, who was forced off with a rib injury in the closing minutes.
“He said he couldn’t breathe properly, so it could be something with his ribs,” Arteta said. “It’s worrying, because Jorgi is the sort of player who usually plays through pain, so for him to come off suggests it’s serious.”
