Arsenal were far from their best as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park. The Gunners were nullified in attack as they came up against a stubborn Sean Dyche side, only being undone by a set piece.
James Tarkowski's header proved to make the difference, although replays showed that the initial corner kick from Dwight McNeil should have been a goal kick for Arsenal after the ball came off Alex Iwobi last. There was another controversial decision that went against the north Londoners as Gabriel Magalhaes' claim for a penalty was rejected by referee David Coote and VAR.
Peter Walton explained why the Brazilian was not awarded a penalty kick after he seemed to be fouled by Neal Maupay inside the penalty area. New signings Jorginho and Leandro Trossard were unable to make a significant impact from the substitutes bench as attention now turns to Manchester City who could close the gap to just two points by the end of the weekend.
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Arteta has since revealed what he told his players following their second defeat of the season as they remain five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Speaking after the defeat, the Arsenal boss said: “I just told the players I love them more now than I did last week and last month.”
The Gunners last suffered defeat in the Premier League back in September against Manchester United. That result did not derail their title charge as they bounced back with a strong result in the Europa League before a convincing 3-0 win away against Brentford.
Arteta will hope he gets yet another positive reaction from his players as they prepare to face the Bees once again in their reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium on February 11.
The Spaniard has emphasised how he tries to maintain a strong mentality and good atmosphere amongst the squad and whilst there will be analysis as to how Everton nullified Arsenal's attacking threat, Arteta will not dwell on the defeat and instead look to get back to winning ways next weekend.
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