Every word Mikel Arteta said on Sunderland's late goal, Arsenal response and clean sheet record

Mikel Arteta spoke to the press after his Arsenal side failed to hold onto a lead at Sunderland. A late Brian Brobbey goal stole the point for the Black Cats and opened the door in the title race wider than Arsenal would have liked, with such a big game between Liverpool and Manchester City to come.

He was asked about the flow of the game and how it was that his side’s winning run and clean sheet record finally came to an end. The Spaniard highlighted what he was not pleased with but also his delight at the response from his players after going a goal down.

Here is every word Mikel Arteta said during the post-match press conference:

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Your team put themselves in such a good position, so how disappointed are you with the goal at the end?

Obviously, the last feeling is disappointment and frustration because we wanted the three points, and we have to navigate through a really tough game. We knew that, it was very disruptive. We have to deal with situations, obviously, that are difficult to deal with.

They do it really well and we conceded a goal that is not in our standards. But after that, I think the team reacted really well, showed a lot of personality and courage. They scored the first goal, they scored the second goal and we totally dominated the game.

You have to rely on defending the box when they start to commit six or seven players there. It can be from a direct play, it can be from a throw-in, it can be from any situation. We can defend the action better, and today we haven't done it; we conceded the goal.

And in the last minutes we have another massive chance with Ricky and Mikel to win, which I think we deserve to do. But it didn't happen, but I think it shows what we've done in the last ten games. Winning them in the manner that we've done it, with clean sheets, missing seven players in the front line. So it shows you how difficult it is.

Were you a bit annoyed with the players at half-time after the first half? Because it was obviously an improvement in the second half.

It's not an annoyance; we have to adjust certain things, and at the end, you have to credit the opposition as well. They are here and competing for a reason and they do what they do really, really well and they make it very difficult for you. And you have to be very patient, you have to dominate certain things in order to end the right to dominate the game in the manner that you want. And we do much better in the second half.

What are your emotions in that 94th minute, Mikel? What are your emotions when that equalising goal goes in?

Again, unsatisfied because I want to win. And the game was almost there, but you know this is the Premier League and the manner that they play, they're going to hang in there when it's just one goal difference there. I'm upset and frustrated because it's an action that we can defend better, but as well you have to give credit to the opposition to do what they've done, to put the ball there, to head the ball the way they've done it, and then they strike it to do that action and to put the ball in the net and sometimes you have to do that and recognise that as well.

I was just going to say, you're the first kind of real big team that have been to Sunderland this season. On this evidence, no-one's going to have a particularly comfortable night here, are they? All the other kind of title challenges that come here, you would imagine, are going to get examined.

It is, and we knew that from the beginning. But that's the Premier League, you don't get to any place in the Premier League where you think you're going to have a comfortable afternoon, evening, how you want to call it. And again, it's not a coincidence what they are doing, and they decide to be where they are and we do as well.

Your clean sheet record has been extraordinary. Do you think the players, that's almost hurt them a little bit and give them some fuel to maybe carry on again and just defend so brilliantly?

Yeah, of course it hurts, especially when it costs you points. And we know that we have to do better. And even though we're conceding goals, there are things that we have to improve and evolve. I always mention that. And that's it. Learn from the past and get back.

Did you feel differently whenever Ballard scored that the clean sheet record had gone? How did you feel when the clean sheet record went when Ballard scored?

A pain in my tummy, because I didn't want to concede any goals. And it was a goal, obviously, that was putting the game in a difficult position.