Mikel Arteta said he hopes his Arsenal players “suffer” for the rest of the weekend after a performance that left him “very, very angry”.
Arsenal lost 1-0 at home to West Ham on Saturday in a defeat which damaged their title chances.
The Gunners knew a win would cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the Premier League table to five points but they were beaten by Jarrod Bowen’s first-half strike.
Liverpool could stretch their lead over Arsenal to 11 points on Sunday if they win at the Etihad in a crucial match against Manchester City.
Reflecting on his side’s first Premier League defeat since November, Arteta said: “Very disappointed, obviously very angry as well. A lot from our side that we never got right.
“Even though we had 20 shots, I never felt we were at the standard and the level we needed to have more threat. We have to be angry. I hope we are very much. I am very much responsible. I am very, very angry.”
With no fit strikers, Arteta played Mikel Merino up front as a makeshift striker after the Spaniard having scored twice off the bench against Leicester last weekend.
Asked if that selection issue was the root cause of the West Ham defeat, Arteta replied: “No. And I refuse that completely, because I’m talking about the standards of the players. It was nowhere near the levels we have to hit to have the opportunity to win the Premier League.
“We have been very consistent, yes, but football is about what you do today, and today: nowhere near.”
When asked what his team must now do to recover, he said: “First of all, suffer. [For] 24 or 48 hours, suffer. Feel the pain and make sure that we come back on Monday with a bite and that anger still in the tummy for Wednesday [away to Nottingham Forest].”
