Mikel Arteta acknowledged Arsenal have to accept criticism and apologise after they were thumped 3-0 by Crystal Palace in a demoralising London derby defeat.
Arsenal saw their hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four damaged on Monday as their run of five straight top-flight away wins ended in emphatic fashion.
Jean-Philippe Mateta and Jordan Ayew had Palace two goals up inside 24 minutes and a second-half penalty from Wilfried Zaha ended any hopes of a Gunners comeback.
The defeat leaves Arsenal fifth in the table, behind rivals Tottenham on goal difference, though they still do have a game in hand.
"From the beginning we were not at the races," Arsenal boss Arteta said to Sky Sports.
"When you come here you have to compete. You have to win duels and second balls and be aggressive – we were none of those.
"On top of that we were really poor on the ball. We were really inconsistent on the ball and that is unacceptable.
"It is time to accept the criticism, put your hand up and apologise because this performance was not good enough for this club and then react.
"Congratulations to Palace because they deserved to win for the game they played. They always play like this.
"We are humble enough to accept the criticism. You don't feel sorry for yourself because we lost players and a football match.
"We made it impossible for ourselves with the way we competed. You have to be physical and run and then you earn the right to play.
"We were poor, especially in the first half. I apologise to our supporters. We didn't have the presence or the composure to dominate the situation so that is what I'm most annoyed with."
Arsenal had 12 shots compared to Palace's six, yet the hosts got five of their attempts on target with the Gunners only testing Vicente Guaita three times.
Arteta added: "When we had the big chances we didn't score to give ourselves the best chance to get back in the game.
"We tried in the second half, we had three or four big chances but the only half chance they had they got a penalty.
"First of all we need to put our hands up and get the criticism we deserve. Then we accept it, look ourselves in the mirror and look to the next game.
"This was not good enough. Some days you are not there and you are late all the time. They got on top of it and had a good atmosphere and we could not get out.
"We have to face the challenge and the opportunity is in our hands. We have to be honest with ourselves and support each other."
The loss was the first time Arsenal had been beaten by three or more goals in a Premier League London derby since suffering a defeat by the same scoreline to Palace in 2017, while the Eagles have now scored seven goals across their last two games in all competitions without conceding in return.
Arsenal have won just one of their last eight Premier League clashes with Palace (D5 L2), after winning nine of the 11 before that (D1 L1).
Arteta's side will look to bounce back when they host Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.
Chelsea midfielder Fernandez undergoes groin surgery
Chelsea will be without Enzo Fernandez for their final six games of the season due to a groin issue.
Fernandez was forced off with an injury during Chelsea's 5-0 defeat at Arsenal on Tuesday.
And it has now been confirmed the 23-year-old World Cup winner has undergone surgery, and will subsequently miss the final month of Chelsea's campaign.
Fernandez has made 28 Premier League appearances this season, scoring three goals. Chelsea did not put a timeframe on his return, though Argentina will be hoping the former Benfica star is fit to feature in the Copa America, which begins in late June.
The Blues sit ninth in the table, though they do have games in hand on all of their rivals for European qualification.
Mauricio Pochettino's team take on Champions League hopefuls Aston Villa on Saturday, with fixtures against Tottenham, West Ham Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Bournemouth to follow.
D.C. United v Seattle Sounders: Jordan Morris reflects on ‘special’ moments with club-doctor father
Seattle Sounders star Jordan Morris reflected on the “special” nature of being able to share some incredible moments with his father Micheal, who is leaving his role as the team’s chief medical officer.
Dr Morris has been with the Sounders for 18 years.
However, Dr Morris is now calling time on his stint at the club.
Dr Morris’ son, Jordan, has established himself as a United States regular and a leading light in MLS, and the winger is delighted to have shared such a path with his father in close proximity.
“It's been special to share moments like after winning MLS Cup at home and after winning the Champions League at home,” said Jordan.
“We took pictures with the trophies together, He was in the locker room while we were celebrating and I think it's a really unique experience to kind of have him on the sidelines for all these games and something that not a lot of people get to experience, so I feel fortunate to have had him around.”
Dr Morris said: “It’s been a blessing. It’s a gift.”
“Being part of the Sounders has been the best thing in my professional career. It’s the most rewarding thing and I'll definitely miss it.”
Seattle have had a poor start to the season and sit 12th in the Eastern Conference. D.C., meanwhile, are 11th in the West.
Morris Jr said: “We know this stretch is huge. And playing two games on the road against really good teams is not going to be easy.”
“We have to find a way to turn that around.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
D.C. United – Christian Benteke
Benteke won 13 of 18 aerial duels for D.C. last time out, his fourth match this season with at least 13 aerial duels won, something no other player has done once this MLS season.
Seattle Sounders – Raul Ruidiaz
Ruidiaz is the Sounders’ leading scorer in MLS this term, with four goals. No other player has managed more than one.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
D.C. ended a six-match losing streak against Seattle with a 2-0 home win the last time the sides met in September 2019. It was only D.C.’s third win in 15 all-time meetings with Seattle in all competitions (D2 L10).
Seattle’s six points through eight matches is the worst start to a season in the club’s MLS history. This is the first time the Sounders have not won at least two of their first eight games of an MLS season.
D.C. have suffered consecutive defeats for the first time since late August last year. United hasn’t lost more than two straight games since a four-match losing streak to end the 2022 season.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
D.C. United – 36.1%
Seattle Sounders – 34.2%
Draw – 29.7%
Guardiola insists three teams still in title hunt despite Liverpool slip-up
Pep Guardiola insists Liverpool remain in the Premier League title race, despite the Reds losing further ground on Arsenal and Manchester City in a dramatic few days at the summit.
Liverpool suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat to Merseyside rivals Everton on Wednesday, a result which meant they failed to close the gap to Arsenal after the Gunners thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on Tuesday.
While Jurgen Klopp's men couldn't respond to the Gunners pulling clear, City did on Thursday, with Phil Foden scoring twice in an emphatic 4-0 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
One point behind Arsenal with a game in hand, City know five wins from their five remaining matches will seal an unprecedented fourth successive English top-flight title.
However, Guardiola expects further twists and turns in the coming weeks.
Asked if Liverpool were still in contention after City's win, Guardiola told Sky Sports: "Yeah. Many things can happen.
"What happened with Liverpool, losing to Crystal Palace and Everton, can happen to us. It can happen to Arsenal. No-one is safe. We have to rest. Now it is just about recovering for the next one.
"We have been here in the past but being here in the past doesn't mean it is going to happen. We have to do the things to make it happen."
City's comprehensive win – in which Kevin De Bruyne scored his first headed goal in the Premier League – saw them cut Arsenal's goal difference advantage to eight goals.
However, Guardiola believes it will be tough for City to close that gap, saying: "It is difficult to cut. The margin is so big. They score a lot of goals and don't concede.
"The main thing is to win the games. We have five games left and they are tough ones – it's a lot of games. We'll take it one game at a time."
Foden's first goal against Brighton – a deflected free-kick – saw him become just the third player to score 50 top-flight goals under Guardiola while aged 23 or younger, after Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi.
Foden is the favourite to be named Premier League Player of the Season, and while Guardiola believes he should be in contention, he says his player is more concerned with team honours.
"For sure, but he wants to win the Premier League," Guardiola said when asked if Foden deserved individual honours. "His influence in the final third was better than in the last two or three games. Today he was more calm, his decision-making was good and to score goals is always good."
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