Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal, was unable to conceal his dissatisfaction after Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
With a well-placed header from a free kick in the first half, Jakub Kiwior gave the Gunners the lead.
Leandro Trossard made sure the home team led at halftime after Eberechi Eze equalized for Palace with a brilliant effort from outside the box.
But Jean-Philippe Mateta pounced on a defensive error to ensure both teams shared the points.
Speaking with BBC Sport after the game, Arteta said: “We dropped our standards today and credit to Crystal Palace.
“We struggled to find consistency in the game. We gave the ball away in simple ways and we were late in everything we did. I am disappointed.”
When asked if Arsenal players’ minds were on the Champions League, Arteta replied: “We have spoken about avoiding our focus being elsewhere.
“We have enough time to prepare for PSG but today we didn’t deliver enough rights to win the game.
“It is nice to have a long gap, we need it and we need players back to full strength.”
About The Author
