Mikel Arteta gives stinging answer to team selection question and sends message to Arsenal players after damaging defeat

Mikel Arteta gave an irritated response to a journalist after a question about Arsenal's team selection for their defeat to Aston Villa.

The gunmen fell towards a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon in what dealt a major blow to their Premier League title chances.

Leon Bailey opened the scoring for Villa in the second half before Olivia Watkins scored his 19th goal of the season to ensure victory.

Arteta's men are now two points away city ​​of manchester in second place and the race for first place is no longer in the hands of the Gunners.

The result left fans and players holding their breath throughout the match and will likely have a big impact at the end of the season.

Arteta was understandably unhappy with the result and took issue with a journalist who asked him about his team selection at his post-match press conference.

Leandro Trossard was preferred to Gabriel Martinelli in the starting eleven in a decision that was questioned by a journalist at Arteta's press conference.

The journalist asked: “Why did you put Trossard in the lineup today instead of Gabriel Martinelli?

“Is Gabriel not fit enough for a 90-minute match?”

In response, Arteta shrugged with a bewildered look and replied: “Because I'm the coach and I decide the line-up.”

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That was all the Spaniard had to say to that question, as he felt the answer was enough to explain why he chose the team he did.

He Arsenal The coach also commented on whether his team's season could fail now after the defeat against Villa.

Arteta said: “If a result is going to achieve that, then we are not strong enough. That is very simple.”

“We had one of the best performances of the entire season in the first half against a really good team.

“There should have been three or four or more. It didn't happen.

“In the second half the momentum changed. We couldn't control or generate what we did in the first half. We suffered two very bad goals and lost the game.

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“Congratulate the opponent and stand up. Now is the time to stand up and be counted.

“When you win and win and win for four months, it's very easy to do it. The time to do it is now.”

Arsenal will have the chance to bounce back by securing a place in the Champions League semi-finals with away victory in Bayern Munich on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.

In the Premier League, the Gunners' title hopes are no longer in their hands and they will likely now have to win their remaining six games.

Wolves are next April 20 before two big confrontations with rivals Chelsea and Tottenham continue.