Mikel Arteta: "It's a big punch in the face"
“Disappointing,” says Arsenal’s head coach with commendable understatement in an interview with TNT. “It’s a big punch in the face and it’s about how we react now. They are a team who haven’t lost for 11 games for a reason, they did a lot right.
“We were far from efficent. The first chance they had to attack the box, it’s a deflection, a bad defending action and it’s a goal. That’s something we have to recover from. The second half you expect a different game. We did a lot of strange things today. We have been very consistent. This can happen, this is football.”
He’s asked if his players are hurting in the dressing-room. “A lot,” he says. “It has to hurt. They have to take it on the chin. You stand up and go for the fight or you’re out. It’s a big week. A lot at stake. We’re still in a good position in both competitions.”
Andoni Iraola: "A complete performance"
“We showed great personality to play in a big game and a big stadium,” said Bournemouth’s head coach in an interview with the BBC. “We’ve been at the level of the game. I’m very happy for the players. Defensively apart from the penalty we defended those [set-piece] situations. We were quite brave. A complete performance.
“It’s a matter of growing into the game. We had very good spells on the ball. We were finding good gaps in the middle.”
On his side’s European hopes: “It’s difficult for us but it’s true that we are not far. There are many teams in a good run without losing. Whoever gets the final two spots will finish in a big run of games.”
If Bournemouth do qualify for Europe it seems unlikely that Iraola will be in charge for their odyssey. He has shown little or no inclination that he intends to sign a new deal when his contract ends in June and is likely to be in big demand this summer.
