‘I’m very, very angry’ – Mikel Arteta says Arsenal title hopes ‘not in our hands’

The defeat was Arsenal’s first in 16 Premier League games, but with Liverpool on a 22-match unbeaten run of their own, Saturday’s loss may have caused irreparable damage to the Gunners’ title hopes.

Using their projection algorithm, data analysts Opta now expect Liverpool to finish top on 86 points, eight clear of Arteta’s team.

Arsenal’s chances of winning the league have dropped from 15.13% to 8.14%, while Liverpool’s have risen from 84.79% to 91.76%.

No other side are given more than a 1% chance by Opta of ending up champions.

Mikel Merino, Arsenal’s match-winner against Leicester City last weekend, was handed a starting berth in attack alongside Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri, but the Spain international could not repeat his heroics at King Power Stadium against the Hammers’ well-organised backline.

Arsenal are currently without Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus because of injury, but Arteta insisted the Gunners’ personnel woes are not to blame for Saturday’s defeat.

“I refuse that completely,” he said. “I’m talking about the standards of the players and the team we played today, me included.

“We have to look in the mirror [for] what we can do better, and the will, the desire, the way we run and the way we want [to be champions].

“You have to deliver and it has to be with quality to break down a really good team. We have to play much better, and with more quality.”