Mikel Arteta was left to reflect on a frustrating result against Brentford, especially lamenting the defending for the equalising goal.

After a goalless first half, we took the lead with an express counter-attacking goal, finished off by Thomas Partey.

But the visitors took a point after we failed to clear the danger from a corner, and Yoane Wissa converted a bouncing ball inside the box.

“I’m disappointed with the result,” Arteta said afterwards. “They are a team that obviously presents a lot of issues, and is very difficult to play against, so we have to be very patient, dominate them, make sure that we don’t allow them to run, and especially in the set pieces, because they are very, very dangerous there.

“I think we did it for the majority of the game. But the action leading to their corner is disappointing, especially when we are in total control. We don’t expect the structure and they run at us and go to the corner.

“After that it’s about the first action, second action, third action with them. And we didn’t manage to defend well enough the space next to the taker, and we allowed the player to run into the box. We were in that chaotic moment, with so many bodies moving inside the box very close to the ball. That’s a lottery, and a game that you don’t want to play against them.”

It was all the more disappointing as that was one of only three shots Brentford mustered all evening, in a game where we restricted them to an xG of just 0.19.

“The main positive is that they didn’t create anything,” Arteta added. “They still scored a goal from an action, again that was disappointing to see. That’s why we lost four points in the last two games, with that kind of goals conceded. If we want to be challenging, and really be in a position to win the Premier League, it’s not enough.”

Our opening goal did at least give Arteta reason to cheer – the perfect example of a counter-attacking goal.

“Yeah, it was really good,” he said. “It gives you an opportunity always, the amount of players that they commit forward in every set-piece to run at them. And the execution, the first pass from David with that kind of action, from Dec as well, committing all the way, he has the space to release Thomas, one against one, was really good.”