Arteta: "At the beginning of the season, the statistics said Arsenal would finish sixth or seventh"

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta commented on the defeat in the 33rd round of the English Championship against Manchester City (1-4).

"The analysis is obvious - the better team won. They may have played their best game, especially in the first half, and we were far from our level. When this happens, the gap becomes too big. We were punished, and we could have been punished even more.

At the beginning of the season, the statistics said that Arsenal would finish sixth or seventh. We are where we are with five games left. These players deserve a lot of respect to be where we are after nine and a half months. I've been working in this country for almost 22 years and I've seen a lot of things. I know how much things change from game to game. No two matches in the Premier League are the same. Today we played against an exceptional team - the players know that," Arteta was quoted as saying by the Gunners' press service.