Arteta responds to questions that Arsenal are missing a striker like Newcastle star Isak

Joe Williams
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta claps the supporters after the match.

Mikel Arteta insists he “wouldn’t change” his players for any others after suggestions that Arsenal are missing an Alexander Isak-type player after losing the Magpies on Saturday.

Newcastle beat the Gunners 1-0 in the Premier League with Isak outjumping Gabriel Magalhaes and beating David Raya with a header just 12 minutes into the match.

The loss means Arsenal are still five points behind second-placed Man City – who lost to Bournemouth 2-1 on Saturday – and now seven points adrift of leaders Liverpool, while Nottingham Forest leapfrogged the Gunners into third.

Arsenal have now taken just one point from their last three Premier League matches against Newcastle, Liverpool and Bournemouth with Arteta’s side looking increasingly unlikely title challengers.

And Arteta admits that Arsenal “weren’t good enough” once they had gone behind against the Geordies with the Gunners unable to come up with the “answers”.

Arteta told a post-match press conference: “We started the game really well. We were on top of it, we looked sharp, we looked alive.

“Then in one action, direct play, second ball, they are really good and they put the ball wide. It was an unbelievable cross and finish.

“After that, momentum changes, energy shifts and you know the game they want to play, it’s clear.

“You get, too often, dragged into that kind of game and we weren’t good enough, didn’t have enough answers to get out of that, especially creating the threat that we needed.

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“At the end, you are relying on two or three big chances that we had with Mikel [Merino], two with Declan [Rice] and one with Gabi but not enough threat to say we could win the game so that’s the frustrating part.

“Credit to them as well for what they do.”

The north Londoners travel to the San Siro to face Inter Milan in midweek and Arsenal boss Arteta wants to see a reaction from his players in the Champions League.

Arteta added: “It’s about how we react. We know we’re not going to find the right answers or words right now to describe how we feel.

“We certainly have to put it onto the field on Wednesday night against Inter.

“It’s not about hoping to win the title, it’s about being our best version every single week and today, certainly, we weren’t our best version.”

When asked whether his squad is lacking a centre-forward like Isak, Arteta responded: “I don’t know. I love my players and I wouldn’t change them for anybody else.”