Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was frustrated with his players after they let a lead slip against 10-man Fulham.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was frustrated with his players after they let a lead slip against 10-man Fulham.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta slammed his players after they blew a 2-1 lead over 10-man Fulham on Saturday. The Spaniard lamented several squandered chances and Arsenal’s failure to hold on to their 2-1 lead.

Andreas Pereira gave Fulham the lead in the first minute thanks to Aaron Ramsdale’s strange blunder. Arteta, frustrated with his team’s lack of conviction in the first half, introduced Eddie Nketiah at halftime and then Fabio Veira early in the second half.

And both substitutes worked together to turn the game around. Vieira’s footwork earned a penalty, which Bukayo Saka converted. The Portuguese playmaker then sent an excellent cross for Nketiah to score.

Despite Calvin Bassey’s second yellow card for a tackle on Arsenal’s goalscorer, Joao Palhinha equalized for Fulham. Arteta could not disguise his rage at multiple errors and squandered opportunities, stating his team could have scored seven times.

“Right from the start, we gave away an incredible goal,” Arteta said. You make things extremely difficult for yourself. However, the team responded admirably. We dominated the game, generated numerous chances, and should have easily scored five, six, or seven goals.

“And once you’ve done the most difficult thing, which is to come back ahead against a well-organized team, you have to defend your box from one corner.” It is their only chance, and you are penalized.

Despite this, you get two more chances and fail to score – that is the story of the game. Despite everything we did to earn a comfortable victory, we only received one point. In football, we’ve seen this circumstance a thousand times [for the first goal]. We threw the ball away in a dangerous place, but it was a fantastic finish. All three substitutions altered the game. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was frustrated with his players after they let a lead slip against 10-man Fulham.

“Fabio was involved in everything we created, which makes me very happy.” To see players who can create and take risks with quality. Eddie is in the same boat.”

Arteta then poked fun at his players, doubting their dedication. “Over my dead body,” he added, “we have to show another level of commitment and desire.” You can’t give up a goal with 10 guys.”

Arsenal’s first three games have not been very convincing. In their first two games, they narrowly defeated Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. On September 3, Arteta’s team will host Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.