Football
Kevin Palmer 10y

Mikel Arteta: Arsenal have 'no chance' in Champions League if errors continue

Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta has suggested his side have "no chance" of challenging for Champions League glory this season unless they make huge improvements from their opening performance in the competition against Borussia Dortmund.

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Arsene Wenger's side were soundly beaten 2-0 in their first Group D encounter in Germany on Tuesday, with the Gunners skipper offering up few excuses for the uninspiring display.

"If you make the mistakes that we did against top sides, we know that there is no chance to win the Champions League," Arteta told reporters.

"We have to react. We have to analyse what we have done wrong and try to improve. In four days, we have another game. That is the best thing, another game to try to react and improve.

"I am bitterly disappointed. I am very disappointed because we knew their strengths, what we had to avoid and what we did was encourage them to play their game.

"We encouraged them to do that by giving the ball away so many times in very difficult positions. They exploit the spaces very well and they put us under pressure.

"[We needed to improve] our accuracy when we were taking the ball. When we were trying to play we kept giving the ball away straight away. We allowed them to break, which is their biggest strength. That was a problem.

"We know this is one of the toughest places to come in Europe and we've seen Real Madrid get battered here as well. Most of the teams that come here struggle to play against Dortmund, but we had a different game in mind."

Arteta's passionate words will doubtless resonate with Arsenal supporters who were frustrated by their side's efforts in Germany, with the pattern of the Gunners performing poorly against top opposition away from home seemingly continuing from last season, when they suffered heavy Premier League defeats against Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Wenger's side will get their first chance to respond to the setback when they travel to face in-form Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

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