Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has taken the blame for his side's end-of-season collapse in the Premier League title race.
The north London outfit led the league for the majority of the season, ahead of Manchester City by as many as eight points before falling into a rut that has seen them win just two of their last seven matches. City now sit four points clear at the top of the table whilst having a game in hand on their title rivals, meaning a win against Chelsea next weekend would crown them as champions for the fifth time in six seasons.
After losing 3-0 to Brighton on Sunday, Arteta made it no secret of his disappointment before insisting that he felt responsible for letting the fans down. Speaking to Sky Sports, the Spaniard said: "I hate the feeling of letting people down when they're really expecting something.
READ MORE: Arsenal hit with injury blow as Gabriel Martinelli off vs Brighton
"That's the biggest regret I have today." He added: "A week ago, I was standing here feeling proud and today we have to apologise for the performance in the second half. It was not acceptable.
"Mathematically, it's still possible, but today it's impossible to think about it. We need to digest the result and the performance in the second half, understand why and have a different reaction."
READ NEXT:
Moises Caicedo's classy gesture, referee forgets the rules: Arsenal moments missed vs Brighton
Roy Keane disagrees with VAR over Gabriel Martinelli decision during Arsenal vs Brighton
Every word Mikel Arteta said on if the title race is over, need to improve and Martinelli injury
Arsenal player ratings vs Brighton as Ben White poor but Reiss Nelson shows fight again
Gary Neville left baffled by 'incredible' decision early in Arsenal vs Brighton
