Kieran Gibbs was left with a sense of regret Arsenal did not capitalise on his goal to beat Tottenham Hotspur but is confident they will push on after the international break.
Gibbs came off the bench as a second-half replacement for Joel Campbell and within minutes found himself on the end of a Mesut Özil cross to rescue a point for Arsenal.
Despite his delight at scoring only his second Premier League goal, the England full-back was frustrated his side did not take advantage of Manchester City’s goalless draw against Aston Villa to reclaim top spot in the Premier League table.
“We’re disappointed,” Gibbs said. “With Manchester City dropping points it was a good opportunity for us to get ahead of them. But it was important not to lose, especially in this game.”
Arsenal’s cause has not been helped by injuries to key players, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey and Héctor Bellerín expected to return after the international break and Theo Walcott likely to be back in action in December. Jack Wilshere, Danny Welbeck and Tomas Rosicky remain long-term absentees.
“We can go into the international break and recover and get a few players fit and push on after,” Gibbs said. “In the last few games, we’ve had no midfielders and it’s been difficult for the boss with options. I’ve been coming on, and looking across the bench, even though I’m a defender, I’m one of the more offensive players.”
Per Mertesacker also welcomed the break from league duties but added that there was “room for improvement”. He said. “At times we need to give more and be more convincing with our game plan. There is room for improvement but we are in a good position and we want to continue that unbeaten streak.
“With players coming back we will gain some more energy. You could see how great it was to have Gibbs on the bench. He gave us a big lift when he came on, he was fresh and gave everyone a lift with the goal.”
