Arsenal must 'turn the page as quickly as possible’ after their 3-1 defeat against Manchester City, according to midfielder Lucas Torreira.
Top Four race hots up again
After Manchester United’s victory over Leicester City earlier in the day, the Gunners knew a win was needed to move back into fifth place, level with Chelsea in forth on goal difference. However, the defending champions were too strong for Unai Emery’s men.
“Today United have overtaken us. It’s important to turn the page as quickly as possible,” Torreira said straight after the match.
“This is football, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The most important thing is that we keep trying to improve. There’s a long way to go in the Premier League, so it’s about trying to achieve our objectives in the time remaining.”
Asleep from the off
Arsenal suffered from yet another slow start, a theme that has plagued a number of performances this season, conceding within the first minute of the game. However, captain Laurent Koscielny levelled the score nine minutes later.
With the Gunners improving and causing the home-side problems, the turning point of the match came seconds before half-time, with Sergio Aguero finishing a slick move to complete two-thirds of his eventual hat-trick.
“We were pressing in a nice way, using the space on the pitch well. Then, of course, the quality of their players meant they could get the second goal. Really, that changed the game,” Torreira said.
Hard work fails to pay off
It was clear to all the large amount of ground off the ball Arsenal’s midfield pairing of Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi, along with the rest of the team in the first half, had to cover, and in the second half the signs of fatigue stopped them for laying a hand on Pep Guardiola’s team.
On the difficulty of the match, Torreria said: “It was a very difficult game but we know that Man City are one of the best teams in the country.
“That said, we prepared well and at times during the game we were able to stay with them. We matched them, and we equalised to make it 1-1 , but then we were unable to create chances after that.
“Then, because of how the game went, they got the second goal. That was telling.”