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Mikel Arteta highlighted his team's failure to deal with the ball in the moments leading up to Aston Villa's spectacular winner.
The Gunners squandered the opportunity to stretch their advantage at the Premier League summit as they succumbed to a thrilling 2-1 defeat at Villa Park. Harvey Elliott was again left out on Saturday, while Liverpool will move within eight points of Arsenal if Arne Slot's players win at Leeds in the day's late kick-off.
Villa had opened the scoring in the first period through Matty Cash, before Leandro Trossard dragged Arsenal level with another crucial strike off the substitutes' bench.
However, instead of capitalizing on that leveller, Villa intensified its assault, with Emi Buendia finding the net during the dying seconds of stoppage time.
The goal triggered jubilant celebrations, leaving Unai Emery's charges just three points adrift of the summit and very much in contention for the title.
Arteta lamented his players' inability to deal with a long delivery from Emi Martinez that sparked the melee, which ultimately led to the decisive goal. "In the second half, we started really well," he told TNT Sports.
"We were very dominant, but then the same issues returned. We allowed certain opponents too much space. We gave the ball away ourselves, to the point where it could have cost us the game, before it actually did.
"Goal kick long, second ball... clear the ball. Individual actions and a lot of chaos in the box, and you end up losing it. So it's painful."
This marks only Arsenal's second defeat of the campaign and brings to an end an extensive unbeaten streak across all competitions that dated back to the team's loss against Liverpool in August.
Arteta commented: "Every week will be like this. We are 18 games unbeaten, and the margins are so small. We have to focus on ourselves and certain standards today - individual levels weren't there in some cases. We have to go again.
"Consistency levels with everything that happened to us has been incredible. I have no arguments to think otherwise."
On the other hand, Emery was overjoyed as Villa moved within three points of Arsenal. He said: "So happy. We finished this week really playing like we need to – competing, demanding ourselves, adapting to the opponent and playing with personality.
"Dominating sometimes and getting in the box, being intense and aggressive when we needed . Villa Park is special, the supporters transmit the energy to us. How they responded is fantastic.
“We are going to focus game by game. We know our only way is if we are trying to focus on each competition. Europa League we want to play well but Premier League is our first priority. We have to respond like we did it today.”
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