{"id":2139,"date":"2026-04-12T12:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T12:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2139"},"modified":"2026-04-12T12:07:05","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T12:07:05","slug":"mikel-arteta-told-arsenal-star-is-not-good-enough-after-bournemouth-defeat-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=2139","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta told Arsenal star is ‘not good enough’ after Bournemouth defeat | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Mikel Arteta after Arsenal\u2019s defeat to Bournemouth (Picture: BBC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Former Premier League forward Jan Age Fjortoft criticised two Arsenal players after the Gunners suffered a disappointing Premier League defeat to Bournemouth.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta\u2019s side had the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points as they welcomed Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.<\/p>\n

The Gunners are chasing a first Premier League title since 2004 and beating Bournemouth would have put even more pressure on Manchester City ahead of their trip to Chelsea on Sunday.<\/p>\n

But Arsenal fell to a 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth, meaning they have now lost three of their last four games and could see their lead in the title race cut to six points come the end of the weekend.<\/p>\n

Man City will have another game in hand to potentially reduce the gap to three, while they can pull even closer to Arsenal when the two title rivals meet at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.<\/p>\n

Viktor Gyokeres scored Arsenal\u2019s goal against Bournemouth but also missed a number of chances and Norwegian football legend Fjortoft\u00a0has questioned if the \u00a364m striker\u2019s form is \u2018good enough\u2019 to fire the Gunners to the title.<\/p>\n

Gyokeres has been widely mocked in the aftermath of the Bournemouth setback after he said Arsenal were not helped by the \u2018dry pitch\u2019 at the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n

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Bournemouth stunned Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I guess the best strikers in the world will score on dry pitches, wet pitches, snow, rain, wind, everything,\u2019 Fjortoft\u00a0said on ESPN<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u00a0don\u2019t\u00a0want to re-open that debate over Arsenal lacking a top, top striker because Gyokeres just sent Sweden to the World\u00a0Cup\u00a0but he did miss some chances today.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you see last season with (Erling) Haaland and (Mohamed) Salah, have there been any champions without that player who can save them on\u00a0a bad day?<\/p>\n

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Viktor Gyokeres had another mixed afternoon for Arsenal (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018Gyokeres scored today and his form is okay but\u00a0it seems it\u2019s\u00a0not good enough to shoot you to a championship.\u2019<\/p>\n

Fjortoft\u00a0also criticised Declan Rice\u2019s performance against Bournemouth and said Arsenal are \u2018desperately missing\u2019 injured captain Martin Odegaard.<\/p>\n

\u2018I want to mention another name: Declan Rice,\u2019 Fjortoft\u00a0added. \u2018I see he gets the captain\u2019s\u00a0armband\u00a0and I talk to English pundits and\u00a0apparently\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0the biggest leader since Lord Nelson.<\/p>\n

\u2018He was the captain\u00a0today\u00a0but I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0see that, I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0see him doing that.\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not saying this because he\u2019s\u00a0Norwegian\u00a0but\u00a0I think they\u00a0miss an in-form Martin Odegaard.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Unfortunately\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0having some problems with injuries this season but\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0desperate to get him back\u00a0because\u00a0at the moment\u00a0Declan Rice, the big hope for English football,\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0producing either.\u2019<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Arteta described Arsenal\u2019s third defeat in four games as a \u2018big punch in the face\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a big punch in the face and it\u2019s about how we react now,\u2019 Arteta said. \u2018They are a team who haven\u2019t lost for 11 games for a reason, they did a lot right.<\/p>\n

\u2018We were far from efficient. The first chance they had to attack the box, it\u2019s a deflection, a bad defending action and it\u2019s a goal. That\u2019s something we have to recover from.<\/p>\n

\u2018The second half you expect a different game. We did a lot of strange things today. We have been very consistent. This can happen, this is football.\u2019<\/p>\n

Asked if his players were \u2018hurting\u2019 after losing to Bournemouth, Arteta added: \u2018A lot. It has to hurt. They have to take it on the chin. You stand up and go for the fight or you\u2019re out.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a big week. A lot at stake. We\u2019re still in a good position in both competitions.\u2019<\/p>\n

For more stories like this,\u00a0check our sport page<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Man Utd urged to hire Champions League manager to catch Arsenal and Man City<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Chelsea told to sign former \u00a385m Premier League flop in shock transfer<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: \u2018Not good enough\u2019 \u2013 Mikel Arteta urged to drop Arsenal star after Bournemouth loss<\/span><\/p>\n

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