Mikel Arteta bemoaned his side's wasteful finishing and careless defending as table-topping Arsenal slipped up with a 1-1 draw with Southampton at St. Mary's.
Arsenal led at half-time through Granit Xhaka's third Premier League goal of the season, but Stuart Armstrong's equaliser meant that the visitors dropped points for only the second time in any competitions this term.
And their boss was left ruing the Gunners' inability to take advantage of a number of great chances to increase their lead – as well as some untidiness at the back.
Asked if he was frustrated with the result, Arteta told Sky Sports:
"Yes, I am. Especially with the big chances that we created [and] the way we started and played [in] the first half, the game should have been in a different position."
The 40-year-old also thought Arsenal carved out the best opportunities after the break. He continued:
"I think we had the big chances and the big situations to put [the game to bed] and we didn't; in the Premier League, this is never enough."
And so it proved – although the Gunners didn't help themselves with some sloppiness out of possession. Arteta added:
"[Southampton] had a shot and a goal – but we still had that feeling in the second half that they were putting us under pressure; we gave too many balls away, especially [with] unforced errors that never gave us the continuity that we need in a game."
Despite a disappointing afternoon on the South Coast, Arsenal end the weekend two points clear of Manchester City at the Premier League summit.
Next up for Arteta and co. is a Europa League trip to PSV on Thursday evening, before they welcome Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium next Sunday.
