Mikel Arteta deplored the lack of consistency of his team when Arsenal led twice, but was fell two times in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in the Emirates on Wednesday.
Jakub Kiwior had given the Gunners the early advantage with a header, but Ebelechi Eze’s bouncing volley from the edge of the box went back.
Leandro Trossard then found the net to restore the advantage of the Arteta team before the break, but visitors again attracted the level of the second half thanks to a hit hit by Jean-Philippe Mateta after an error by William Saliba.
The result has only delayed the apparently inevitable title celebrations of Liverpool, with the Arne Slot team needing only one point of five games to secure the 20th crown of the club’s premier.
For Arsenal and Palace, their attention will now go to their games in the respective Cup semi-finals. Oliver Glasner’s men go to Wembley on Saturday to face Aston Villa for a place in the FA Cup final, while the Arteta team welcomes PSG in the forefront of the last Tuesday’s Champions League.
One point each at the Emirates stadium ⚖️
Attentions are turning to the Champions League next Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/7az3zfs4mw
– Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 23, 2025
And although the result is likely to have little impact on the respective campaigns of Arsenal and Palace, the boss of the Gunners was no less unhappy by the projection of his team.
“We are disappointed with the result and performance. We have not found enough consistency in our actions to win the right to completely dominate the game,” said Arteta.
“We started to give botched bullets and we also dropped the standards in certain defensive habits.
“It’s part of football, and it cost us two points.”
When asked if his players could be forgiven to have their eye on the next confrontation with PSG, Arteta remained frank in his response.
“No, because we need consistency in each competition in which we play to be best.
“Today I think they [Palace] were very organized and they deserve credit, but we must also be criticized for ourselves and look at what we have to do better.
Speaking of the need for his team to exclude individual errors before what he called “the most important game of the season” against PSG, Arteta added: “Yes for sure. It will cost you points. But they [mistakes] are part of football. It’s harmful, but I think we have to accept that when we play, these things can happen.
“Now we have to recover, recover the energy and focus fully on this game.”
