MIKEL ARTETA told his team to “raise the levels” after they suffered another huge blow to their title challenge following a 1-1 draw with Brentford.
The Gunners missed the chance to go six points clear as Keane Lewis-Potter’s headed equaliser from a long-throw cancelled out Noni Madueke’s opener.
Arsenal, who held a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier League just five days ago, now sit just four points above title rivals Manchester City after their lacklustre performance at the Gtech.
Arsenal gaffer Arteta said: “We’re going to be preparing to win every single match and that’s the only thing we can do.
“Raise the levels, collectively and individually, to be better than our opponents every week.
“That’s going to carry on like this until May.”
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The Gunners chief described Brentford’s performance as a “nightmare” after they put Arsenal under the cosh with set pieces and long throw-ins.
He added: “The moment you start to give away one or two free-kicks, the ball goes into the channels and can go out for a throw and then it is a nightmare.
“They can throw the ball from anywhere on the pitch. You get into that game and it is very difficult to get out.”
Arsenal ace Declan Rice urged his teammates not to panic after their title slip-up, reminding them there is still a long way to go.
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He told TNT Sports: “This is a rollercoaster of a season. You can’t be naive to think this is going to be easy.
“We are playing against the best teams week in, week out. We have to keep pushing and believing in ourselves, controlling the controllable.
“We have to block out the outside noise. We have done that really well. People are going to talk up the title race and Arsenal but we have a really calm group”
Arsenal, who face Wigan in the FA Cup on Sunday, were unable to impose themselves on Brentford for much of the match and Bees goalscorer Lewis-Potter thought his side were unlucky not to take all three points after pushing Arsenal repeatedly in the latter stages of the game.
He told the BBC: “We are happy but at the same time feel like we could have won the game. It’s definitely a good point.”
Brentford manager Keith Andrews thought his side, who are now just four points off the European places, could have snatched a victory, too.
He said: “It was more likely to go our way. They were very good at the start of the second half.
“We go a goal down and the reaction we showed was sensational.
“The chances we created, it doesn’t take a genius to realise which team is more likely to win it.”
Adding: “We were brilliant from set pieces. I loved our body language and demeanour. I really liked the way we approached it and the appetite and aggression.”
Arsenal ratings vs Brentford
ARSENAL blew the chance to increase their lead at the top to six points with the 1-1 draw at Brentford.