Arsenal failed to beat Liverpool in their midweek Premier League clash, losing the tie 2-0 and after the loss, Mikel Arteta has surprisingly chosen to lash out at the PL authorities.
The Gunners manager lashed out at the authorities claiming that Arsenal have been given a massively tight and exhausting schedule and this has been one of their major undoings against Liverpool on Wednesday.
“Thank you so much to the Premier League for doing that,” Arteta told reporters, as quoted.
“And they’ve done it again when we have to play Chelsea and Manchester United. So if they want to give them any advantage, I say to them today: ‘Thank you so much for doing that’.
🇨🇭 Granit Xhaka created more chances (2), completed more attacking third passes (15/19) and suffered more fouls (2) than any other player on the pitch in the Arsenal vs Liverpool game.
Improving so much. #ARSLIV #AFC pic.twitter.com/MfEaPwcR6Q
— Mozo Football (@MozoFootball) March 16, 2022
“No [the Premier League wouldn’t change the schedule]. It is always it’s BT, it’s Sky, it is this, it’s that. But the one that is affected is Arsenal and the only thing that I care [about] and we care [about] is Arsenal. And for Arsenal it is not fair.”
Should Arsenal be blaming hectic scheduling for their loss to Liverpool?
The North London side had three games in hand before they faced Liverpool which is why they have to play several midweek fixtures. These matches were initially postponed due to the rising positive cases but other than that, Arsenal have very little to complain about.
Currently, the Gunners are only playing in the Premier League whereas Liverpool have to focus on the league, the FA Cup and also the Champions League.
The fact that Arsenal have been knocked out of the other competitions has been a major boost for them in terms of the top-four battle but if Mikel Arteta still keeps whining about fixture cloggings then he is nothing but a spoilt sport.
They’ve played 11 games in 2022, an average of a game every 6.8 days.
There is absolutely nothing unfair about the scheduling of this fixture. The Premier League didn’t make Arsenal sell their players in January! pic.twitter.com/UjBnsAy8Kr
— Dougie Critchley (@DougieCritchley) March 17, 2022
Before the Liverpool game, Arsenal had been playing one game per week for a really long time and this gave them the chance to rejuvenate and regather. Liverpool, on the other hand, played in the FA Cup on the 2nd of March then they faced West Ham United three days later. Without any sort of major rest after the Hammers game, they hosted Inter in the Champions League last week following which they faced Brighton at the weekend then finally Arsenal on Wednesday.
It’s not like Klopp is any saint because he too has rattled about a fixture mess in the past but this recent complaint from Mikel Arteta holds no ground whatsoever.
Arsenal are playing in a single tournament currently but if still, their manager feels the fixture list is exhausting then they might as well refuse to fight and hand over the fourth spot on the table to Man United or West Ham.
