Mikel Arteta expressed disappointment with Arsenal's performance in their recent Premier League loss to Aston Villa. Despite Leandro Trossard equalising Matty Cash's goal, Emiliano Buendia scored late, securing a win for Unai Emery's team. Arteta noted that while the effort was present, the team's quality fell short of expectations.
Arsenal has struggled against Aston Villa under Arteta, losing six times, which is their second-highest number of losses against any opponent during his tenure. The only team they have lost more to is Manchester City, with seven defeats. Arteta acknowledged the team's effort but highlighted that individual performances did not meet the required standards.
Arteta emphasised the need for self-reflection and improvement.
"We have to focus on ourselves and certain standards that today, particularly individually, we didn't reach," he told TNT Sports. He stressed the importance of maintaining consistency despite challenges faced by the team this season.
The match saw Arsenal lacking dominance and leaving open spaces on the field. Arteta pointed out mistakes that could have cost them earlier in the game before Buendia's decisive goal. He mentioned missed opportunities when Declan Rice set up Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyokeres but they failed to score.
Full-time at Villa Park. Attention turns to Wednesday night in the Champions League.pic.twitter.com/c1asCqUc9XArsenal (@Arsenal)December 6, 2025
Looking ahead, Arsenal will face Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday before returning to league action against Wolves over the weekend. Arteta hopes to use this defeat as motivation for upcoming matches, aiming to improve both individual and team performances.
The late goal by Buendia was notable as it was one of the latest winning goals scored against Arsenal since 2006-07, second only to Neal Maupay's goal for Brighton in June 2020. This highlights a recurring issue with conceding late goals that Arsenal needs to address moving forward.
Arteta remains focused on using this setback as a learning opportunity. He believes that by addressing these issues and maintaining high standards, Arsenal can bounce back stronger in their upcoming fixtures.
