Struggling Premier League giants Arsenal slumped to a 1-2 loss at the hands of newcomers Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday and Gunners defender Shkodran Mustafi admitted he was at a loss for words when asked to explain what went wrong for the North Londoners at the Amex Stadium.
“We’re very disappointed with that. We’re going to keep fighting until the end of the season – we know it’s not acceptable and we need to step up our game,” Mustafi was quoted as saying by the club website after the loss.
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Arsenal custodian Petr Cech was guilty of making two glaring errors as the hosts raced into a 2-0 lead and while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would give Arsene Wenger’s men hope with a cheeky finish just before half-time, but no comeback was on the cards as Brighton held on for a memorable win.
When quizzed about the Gunners’ poor away record in the Premier League this season (they have won just thrice and lost eight times), the German centre-back replied, “I don’t know, I think we’ve just got to stay positive. Games just haven’t gone for us – we’ve just got to keep going, keep our heads up and keep fighting until the end of the season”.
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Questions about the desire of Arsenal players will be the topic of discussion in the coming days as the players have little to play for now, with their top-four hopes in the Premier League slim at best, but Mustafi asserted he wasn’t giving in the towel just yet.
“We fight. We don’t go into games with our heads down. We go in fighting and look to win every game. It’s always been the same here. Things just haven’t been going for us at the moment. We know that, the fans know that.
“We’re as disappointed as them. We’re going to keep fighting, we know we need to turn it around and we need a positive reaction,” the 25-year-old added.
Arsenal’s sole hopes of lifting any gloom lie in Europe, as they are still in contention for silverware for the UEFA Europa League.
However, they face a in-form AC Milan side in the round-of-16 this week for the first leg and the tie at the San Siro looks like it will be a season-defining clash for the Gunners