Mikel Arteta: 'We were 10 times better against Fulham this year'
The Gunners sought to make it three wins from three to start the 2023-24 Premier League season, but Marco Silva's men exposed Arsenal's defensive frailties at home to end their hosts' unblemished start.
An early mistake from Bukayo Saka gifted Andreas Pereira the opening goal with less than a minute gone, but the Englishman redeemed himself from the penalty spot before Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to prod the Gunners ahead.
Calvin Bassey's late sending-off would ostensibly help Arsenal on their way to another maximum, but Arteta's men failed to deal with a Harrison Reed corner in the 87th minute, and Joao Palhinha picked out the far corner with a delicate half volley to steal a point for the visitors.
Arsenal's four-goal stalemate comes almost exactly 12 months after they came from behind to beat Silva's men at the Emirates, where Gabriel Magalhaes — who was on the bench again on Saturday — scored the winner.
Despite gleaning two fewer points this time around, a defiant Arteta insisted that he witnessed a major improvement in his side, and he brushed aside Saka's individual mistake as «part of football».
«Well, if I compare the game that we played against Fulham this season and last season, we were 10 times better than last season, at least 10,» Arteta said in his post-game press conference. «We were much better than last season. Last season we won 2-1 in the last minute, today we drew 2-2.
»With the way the team played, the way the team generates and in any other sport you win by I don't know how many hundred points difference, but
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