London, April 20 (IANS) Arsenal F.C. manager Mikel Arteta stayed strong after the 1-2 loss to title rivals Manchester City F.C. He insisted that the Premier League title race is far from over, especially with five games still ahead.

A win would have given Arsenal a nine-point lead and put them in control of the title race. However, a second-half goal from Erling Haaland changed the outcome. Now, City has the chance to surpass Arsenal for the first time since October if they win their game in hand against Burnley F.C.

Despite the setback, Arteta chose not to focus on the disappointment and framed the match as a new starting point for the season. “The Premier League starts again almost. They have a game in hand, we are three points ahead, five games to play so game on,” he said after the match.

Arteta recognized the disappointment among the players but emphasized the need to move forward quickly. “Obviously, the players were very disappointed not to get a result from the game in the way it happened. That’s the feeling. They said ‘okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we have the biggest one now in the next five games, so let’s do it.’”

Even with City’s strong performance, Arsenal’s upcoming matches look relatively favorable. They have home games against Newcastle United F.C., Fulham F.C., and Burnley, along with away matches against West Ham United F.C. and Crystal Palace F.C. On the other hand, City has a tough schedule ahead with games against Everton F.C., AFC Bournemouth, Brentford F.C., and Aston Villa F.C.

Arteta also noted the added challenge of an upcoming UEFA Champions League semifinal against Atlético Madrid. He admitted that the physical and mental pressure is starting to take a toll. Arsenal, who lost just three of their first 49 matches this season, have now faced four defeats in their last six games, with their last league win coming over a month ago.

Still, the Arsenal manager believes the title race has more surprises in store. “Let’s see what happens. It’s the Premier League. First of all, winning a game in this league is extremely tough,” he said. “Look at the fixtures that we both have. It’s going to be tough for both of us.”

He added, “If not, we would already have 80 points or 85 points like in other seasons, but that’s not the case. So we will prepare game by game, learn from what happened today, and do better. Everything is still to play for. We’re not going to stop, and we’re going to go again, that’s for sure.”

With Arsenal still in first place with 70 points from 33 games, the title race remains tight, setting the stage for an exciting end to the season.

–IANS

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