Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta offered a blunt response to claims that his team's exit from the Europa League allows them to focus on the Premier League title race against Manchester City. The Gunners sit five points clear at the top of the table heading into this weekend's fixture against Crystal Palace.
Arsenal were unable to progress into the last eight of the Europa League on Thursday night despite taking the lead in their second-leg clash against Sporting CP. The north Londoners were pegged back in the second half following a stunning strike from Pedro Goncalves, before being eliminated from the competition on penalties.
The result leaves the Gunners with just the Premier League to focus on after being knocked out of the FA Cup earlier in the 2022/23 campaign. Arsenal's exit from the Europa League means they will now have less fixtures to deal with compared to City after Pep Guardiola's side progressed into the Champions League quarter-finals - but Arteta is finding it hard to see the positives after Thursday night's result.
READ MORE: Arsenal facing wait on William Saliba injury with Takehiro Tomiyasu out for Crystal Palace
After the elimination, Arteta was asked whether he saw the result as a blessing in disguise. The Arsenal boss said: "I cannot see it that way today.
“I don’t know, if you go through the competition and win it, it’s magnificent. If it’s not, then it affects your plans in the league, that’s a different story. We wanted to go through and we put everything into it," the Spaniard continued.
“The effort the boys put when it wasn’t our best day, individually and collectively, the hunger and the desire they showed to win, the way they were tracking back was incredible. They really wanted it and today it didn’t happen."
The result was compounded by injuries to both Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba in the first half, prior to Granit Xhaka opening the scoring for the Gunners. Arsenal will assess Saliba over the next 48 hours to decide if he's available for Sunday's Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, football.london understands.
The Frenchman had to come off with a back injury immediately after Xhaka's opening goal, whilst Tomiyasu also came off injured after just nine minutes into the match. Arteta described the Japan international's injury as "serious" and he was spotted leaving the Emirates Stadium on crutches.
The Gunners will also be without Eddie Nketiah for Sunday's match with the 23-year-old continuing to recover from an ankle sprain that has kept him out of the last four matches. Mohamed Elneny is also facing a long period on the sidelines as Arsenal's injury problems continue to build heading into the final stretch of the season.
READ NEXT:
Arsenal facing wait on William Saliba injury with Takehiro Tomiyasu out for Crystal Palace
Every word Mikel Arteta said on Saliba's injury, Martinelli's miss and bouncing back
Takehiro Tomiyasu, William Saliba: Arsenal injury news and return dates ahead of Crystal Palace
Arsenal player ratings vs Sporting as Xhaka good and Jesus promising despite penalty heartache
Arsenal news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from the Emirates Stadium
