Arteta  still believes Arsenal are in title race

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta vowed his Arsenal side will not throw in the towel in the title race but admitted they never stood a chance on Wednesday night at the Etihad after being comprehensively outclassed by Manchester City.

City will go top if they beat Fulham on Sunday after demolishing Arsenal 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a devastating Erling Haaland-Kevin De Bruyne double act to move within two points of the Premier League leaders.

Arteta admitted Arsenal were “not at the races” and “nowhere near our level” but vowed not to roll over and hand City a fifth title in six seasons.

“This was a very difficult night, obviously after the way we lost,” the Arsenal manager said. “But we are going to compete, we are never going to give up. There are five games to go, anything can happen. You also have to look in the mirror and accept that we were up against an exceptional team.”

Asked if Arsenal would need to win all their remaining matches to stand a chance of denying City, Arteta – whose side face Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium next Tuesday – added: “I think so.”

City were in front after seven minutes when Haaland released De Bruyne to score.

John Stones added a second on the cusp of half-time after a lengthy Var review. De Bruyne claimed his second nine minutes into the second half before Haaland scored his 49th goal of the campaign in stoppage time.

'The better team won the game'

“We never had a chance to win the game and we have to improve and be humble enough to accept that,” Arteta said. “The analysis is clear. The better team won the game. They were probably at their best, especially in the first half, and we were nowhere near our level. When that happens the gap becomes too big.

“The first 30 minutes all the basic things you have to do against an exceptional team in terms of competing, winning duels, understanding what the game requires, we didn't do it and we were punished. We are not at the races.

 “The quality of the performance was very far from one team to the other. They were better in every department, more aggressive. They won every single duel, we helped them in corners, after two passes they were in on goal. We conceded set pieces and throw-ins against us too easily.

“I don't know what is going to be required. We first have to lift the players up because they suffered and it was difficult to swallow. Do everything we have done so well in the next match to earn the right to win it. That's where we have to start.”

Asked if he was disappointed his players failed to show up for such a big game, Arteta said: “Very — and we knew we were going to need our best as a team and individually. When you come here, individual performances dictate and you need 11 players doing that. Today we were far from it.

“I don't think they were scared but the way we started the game didn't help us. Control in mini situations, we lost all the races, the first and second balls and when that happens it opens space to attack and that created an uncertainty. We could not grab the game and they won it, and they were really good.”