Following a disheartening 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, which basically ruined Arsenal's slim ambitions of winning the Premier League, manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged his squad has to go back to its best before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League semi-final next week.
With four games left, leaders Liverpool lead second-place Arsenal by 12 points. If Arne Slot's team avoids losing to Tottenham Hotspur at home on Sunday, they may win the championship.
Arteta had hoped for a convincing performance to generate momentum ahead of Arsenal's first Champions League semi-final participation in fifteen years, even if the Gunners' domestic campaign has been weakening for weeks. Rather, his team played a clumsy game in which they twice lost a lead against a determined Palace team.
In the third minute, Jakub Kiwior gave Arsenal the lead with a close-range header, but shortly before the half, Eberechi Eze gave Palace the equalizer with a sharp volley. Leandro Trossard gave Arsenal the lead again just before halftime, but Palace earned a draw in the 83rd minute when replacement Jean-Philippe Mateta lobbed an out-of-position David Raya.
Arteta blamed a lack of accuracy and urgency for his team's failure to keep control of the game.
The display caused some anxiety before Tuesday's Champions League matchup with PSG, who have already eliminated Aston Villa and Liverpool in their quest for the last four. The semi-final is the "most important game of the season," according to Arteta, and Arsenal is hoping to win the competition for the first time in the team's history.
Mikel Merino's injury, which prevented him from playing in the Palace match and keeps him doubtful for the PSG match, is adding to Arsenal's concerns. Kai Havertz's and Gabriel Jesus' ailments have forced the Spanish midfielder to play in an advanced role recently.
The tie was Arsenal's 13th overall and their ninth in a game they were leading this season, the most by a Premier League team since Tottenham in 2007–08. Liverpool are getting closer to a record-tying 20th English Premier League title as a result of their expensive tendency of giving up possession.
Despite choosing to rest a number of important players, Crystal Palace put up a strong show in north London as they took on Aston Villa in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final.