"We were never at the levels that we want" - Mikel Arteta unhappy with Arsenal's performance in loss to Fulham
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that his side weren't good enough during their defeat to Fulham at Craven Cottage on New Year's Eve.
Despite Bukayo Saka (5') giving Arteta's team an early lead, the Gunners lost 2-1. Raul Jimenez (29') and Bobby de Cordova-Reid (59') scored for the Cottagers to turn the game on its head.
The loss marked two in a row for the north Londoners, as they were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United at the Emirates in midweek. Arteta, though, pointed out a stark contrast between the two games, saying that the team deserved to beat the Hammers but were below-par against Fulham.
The Spaniard said after the away loss (via Sam Dean on X):
"Three days ago, we lost a game that we fully deserved to win. Today was a very different story. We were not good enough. We were never at the levels that we want."
Arsenal remain fourth after their defeat at Fulham. They have 40 points from 20 games. Arteta's side's recent league form is worrying, having won only one of their last five games and losing three.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta reflects on dropping 11 points in December
December turned out to be detrimental to Arsenal's Premier League title charge. They dropped 11 points and are behind Liverpool, Aston Villa and defending champions Manchester City.
Arteta said that the team had good performances in the draw against Liverpool and the loss to West Ham. He, though, pointed out that the performance against Fulham was nowhere near the level of their other 19 games (via the Gunners' website):
"Because you drop games in this league, even if you win with 120 points but in Anfield we lost two points and had a big performance. We lost three points against West Ham but had a big performance.
"Today was a different story, and that’s why we feel sad because we weren’t at the levels that we’ve been at for the other 19 games. That’s the reality."
Arsenal will start 2024 with a high-voltage FA Cup showdown with Liverpool on January 7. After a dismal December, their margin for error is very thin as they look to win silverware.