Mikel Arteta Breaks Silence After Arsenal Suffering Premier League Title Blow at Everton

• Mikel Arteta has refused to blame his players despite Arsenal's humbling defeat at Everton earlier on Saturday
• The North Londoners were stunned 1-0 at Goodison Park as they picked their second defeat of the season in the Premier League
• Despite the frustrating result, Arteta declined to criticise his charges, insisting that he is still proud of them

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has reacted to his side's disappointing defeat against Everton.

The Gunners were humbled 1-0 during the epic Premier League clash staged at Goodison Park on Saturday, February 4.

The two teams settled for a 0-0 draw in the first half before James Tarkowski headed home the winner in the 60th minute.

According to Metro UK, the league leaders struggled to break down the hosts shortly after Tarkowski's goal as the tie ended in a 1-0 win for the Toffees.

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The result dealt Arsenal a huge blow in their Premier League title bid as it leaves them just five points ahead of reigning champions Man City.

Arteta speaks after Arsenal defeat

Speaking after the match, Arteta absolved his charges from any blame after the disappointing defeat.

While the Spaniard admitted his side were far from being at their best, he was quick to reiterate that their title bid was always going to hit a rough patch.

"Today I love them much better than the week before or a month ago. It is easy to be next to someone when they are winning well. I am still so proud of all of these players, they deserve it," he said via Metro UK.

"This is not going to be a rose pathway. This is going to be tricky and we will have to dig in and play much better than we did today," he added.

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Tomiyasu reveals Arsenal's secret

Arsenal struggled for consistency last season, due to the unavailability and loss of form of key players and it cost them UEFA Champions League qualification at the end of the season.

Thomas Partey was one of the injured and struggling players last season but has stepped up massively this season and as earlier reported by Sports Brief, defender Takehiro Tomiyasu claimed they understand the manager better.

Arsenal are on course for glory in the Premier League and UEFA Europa League if they maintain their consistency until the end of the season.