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Mikel Arteta admitted to feeling a “pain in my tummy” after Arsenal potentially handed a lifeline to Liverpool and Manchester City in the race for the Premier League title.
The Gunners missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Sunderland on Saturday. The visitors had looked to be on course for yet another victory, only for Brian Brobbey to strike in the 94th minute and earn the Black Cats a point.
The draw means that one of Liverpool or Manchester City could now narrow the gap at the top of the Premier League table, with Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola going head-to-head at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The Reds start the day eight points behind Arsenal, while City sits seven points back.
Saturday’s result saw Arsenal’s club-record run of eight clean sheets come to an end as the Gunners were left visibly unsettled by their hosts, suggesting that there might still be a glimmer of hope for the chasing pack despite Arteta’s side looking imperious recently.
“It’s not a nice feeling,” Arteta said after the game.
“It’s disappointment and frustration, because we wanted the three points. We had to navigate through a tough game.
"We knew that. [They were] very disruptive. We had to deal with situations that were obviously difficult to deal with.”
Asked how he felt after the run of clean sheets came to an end, Arteta added: “A pain in my tummy, because I don’t want to concede any goals.
“We conceded a goal that was not in our standards, but after that, the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. Scored the first goal, scored the second goal, and we totally dominated the game.
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“You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six, seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw, or it can be from any situation.
"We can defend the action better. And today we haven’t done it, we have conceded a goal."
Arsenal faces a testing set of fixtures when it returns from the international break, with the North London derby first up as it plays host to Tottenham on November 23.
Bayern Munich then visits on November 26 as at least one of the Champions League’s perfect records is set to be ended, before the Gunners head to Chelsea on November 30, with Liverpool and Manchester City no doubt hoping the draw against Sunderland will be the start of a slump for Arteta’s side.
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