Mikel Arteta faced the media following the disappointing draw with Aston Villa that saw the Gunners drop two more points in the title race after Liverpool’s win at Brentford. Having taken a two-goal lead, they failed to keep the buffer and Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins converted after some poor defending.

It was evident how the game at Brentford was changed by the substitutes where Arteta admitted the one change he made, Raheem Sterling, it was quite the opposite. He was not drawn on questions regarding Thomas Partey’s right-back role and responded to yet more calls for business to be done this January.

Here is every word from the press conference as Arteta faced the media...

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On the goal at the end, did you think it should stand?

I haven’t seen it enough, there was one angle it looks like the decisions made, that’s it. Incredibly proud of the team. I think it was an immense performance, immense. Against this team, what they’ve done, after playing three times in six days with the players having enough to change it. I cannot be prouder of that, very disappointed with the result obviously we cannot afford ourselves because defending in the way that we did for one of the goals especially it cannot be part of our game if we want to be at the highest level in this country because the rest is what can I ask the team to do against a very good side.

Twelve points dropped from winning positions this season, which is a lot more than in the previous four seasons. What do you put that down to?

Well, I think every situation is very different as well. We have come back from situations more than probably before as well. So today, I think you have to give credit to the opposition, you know, Digne puts in an unbelievable ball and Tielemans arrives near it, the second one is nowhere near the standard that is required. And overall, again, what the game showed and how we perform and the scoreline reflection is nowhere near where it should be.

Will we see Saliba next week?

No, not yet, I think tomorrow we'll have more and more information. Tomorrow they will have another test on him, and I will be more clear about it,

Are you worried about it?

Yeah for sure, especially with the numbers that we have in the squad and looking at our bench. Very worried.

One win in six league games that Partey has started at right-back, does that show how damaging it is losing key players from their natural positions?

I cannot judge just because one player plays in one position.

Liverpool were obviously very close to drawing, and then they scored two goals to win and then you drew. I mean, how pivotal a day do you think this might be in the in the whole scheme of things, with the title race?

Yeah, there are moments, obviously, they managed to do that. They made the subs, and the subs made the impact, and they managed to change the game. And in our side it was the opposite, even though, after conceding the two goals very close to each other, the danger was, because I knew how the team was, that we could go down here because we were physically drained. Suddenly, the team find another gear to go again and just put Aston Villa in there, in the box, and go and go again, trying to find the goal that we haven't been able to score at the end.

Who is going to go in happier with the point?

I'm not happy. I cannot talk about the rest. But the difference in the two teams, I think that was very obvious.

Would Saliba’s presence have changed the two goals conceded?

No, I think the first one, I think the centre-back is dragged out to a wide area, because the full-back is releasing. So is Mikel [Merino] that is following Tielemans in this case. And the second one is a set-piece that the central defender can be in any other position. And probably Willy wouldn't be there in the second phase. So, yeah, not so easy to point a finger.

On the transfer window, the gap widens, does the pressure grow to do something this month?

Not the result. When you look at the performances, I don't know how many teams are playing at this level in the league, but when you look at the bench, probably you say, I think we are very short.