Mikel Arteta critiques ‘subpar’ Arsenal following defeat to Manchester United.
Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to demonstrate the mental resilience necessary to secure the Premier League title following a tense 3-2 home loss to Manchester United.
The Gunners concluded the weekend just four points ahead of Manchester City and Aston Villa after substitute Matheus Cunha’s remarkable strike in the 87th minute provided United with their first league victory at Arsenal since 2017.
Lisandro Martinez’s own goal in the 29th minute gave Arsenal an early advantage, but a blunder from Martín Zubimendi allowed Bryan Mbeumo to equalize eight minutes later.
Patrick Dorgu’s excellent volley in the 50th minute put United in front, and after Mikel Merino netted an equalizer in the 84th minute, Cunha scored late to hand Arsenal their third consecutive league match without a victory.
Former Gunners captain Patrick Vieira remarked to Sky Sports after the match that “there are still some questions about the mental strength of the team” as they strive for their first league title since 2004, to which Arteta responded: “That’s fine. I mean, we accept every opinion, where it comes and where it’s coming from, and they will have the right reason to say it. Ultimately, we need to exhibit the mental strength we possess on the pitch during match days.
“We were absolutely brilliant in Milan [defeating Inter 3-1 on Tuesday], but today we weren’t as good. I can’t say if it was mental, due to how much they played [in Italy], but we were lacking, particularly technically in certain areas against a team that can severely punish mistakes. That was the distinction.”
Some Arsenal fans booed the team off the pitch at full-time, despite Sunday’s defeat being their first since May 2025, as they lead both the Premier League and Champions League standings.
“It doesn’t matter,” Arteta stated when confronted with that reaction. “We need to do more, so perhaps that isn’t sufficient. We must strive for more; there is no alternative. We have to give our utmost.
“When you do that, you can rest easy. Today we certainly attempted to give our best, but we were not efficient enough against a well-organized team, and we were punished for our own errors as well.
“I believe this is the first time I am sitting here this season at home and we have lost. It’s part of the journey to winning. If it weren’t, no one would lose football matches. It’s about how we respond to this, and I am very confident, because I know those players in the dressing room and how much we desire it, that we will react immediately.”
