Leeds United boss Daniel Farke on Karl Darlow, need to not 'over-interpret' Arsenal loss — plus praise from Mikel Arteta — Yorkshire Post 31/1/26
By Leon Wobschall
LEEDS United manager Daniel Farke took his side's
comprehensive 4-0 home loss to title favourites Arsenal firmly on the chin -
and acknowledged that the hosts could not contain 'the best side currently in
Europe'.
The league leaders shrugged off a three-match winless
sequence to post an emphatic victory at Elland Road, as they took their goals
tally against Leeds this season to nine goals in two matches. The result also
constituted Arsenal's seventh successive league triumph over United.
Martin Zubimendi headed Arsenal in front on 27 minutes and a
clanger from Karl Darlow gift-wrapped a second before half-time.
Viktor Gyokeres then scored his third goal against Leeds
this season to settle the issue as a meaningful contest and substitute Gabriel
Jesus added a late fourth.
Farke, whose side lost for the first time in six home
matches, said: "First of all, congratulations to Arsenal. It was a
deserved win today. We have to accept that the better team won this game.
"Of course, we were also realistic before. We faced the
best side currently in Europe.
"There are reasons why this team is sitting on the top
of the table in the Premier League and why this team is the best team currently
in Europe with eight wins out of eight Champions League games.
"And of course, you need a perfect day in order to give
yourself a chance, and also a bit of luck that this side is then perhaps not
there with their best day, and not super effective.
"But today, sadly, we didn't have our very best day,
and they were on it from the first to the last second, and for that they
deserve to win this game, and we have to accept their quality today.
"They were better, and for that there's not too much to
over-interpret into this game."
On Darlow's clapper after punching a corner from Noni
Madueke into his own net - the Arsenal winger replaced Bukayo Sayo after he
suffered an injury in the warm-up - the Leeds chief added: "Yes, overall,
of course, he's disappointed with the situation.
"I think, in general, the key was today we didn't find
the solution to create chances against them to score goals.
"We were not really able to create chances. This was
the first part of our game. Second part, against the ball, in the first half,
out of the game, I can't really remember a chance for them, but obviously
set-pieces are also a big topic for them.
"I think we gave a few too many away. Initially, we
defended all the corners pretty spot-on, but the problem was, if you then clear
sometimes a corner, and then there's a second phase, and to concede out of this
situation, that was tricky.
"Of course, the crossing situation, we were then in the
centre, over-shifting too far to the first post, and had an under-load, and
they had a relatively easy 1-0.
"I have to watch it back (second goal), it was an own
goal probably, but here was not really one Arsenal player close to it. Of
course, we should defend this situation better. If you concede two goals like
this, and you are 2-0 down against the best side in Europe, then it was always
clear it could be a long, long afternoon."
Despite a one-sided afternoon, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
paid tribute to Leeds afterwards and says he sees no reason why they cannot
achieve their season's aims of clinching Premier League safety.
He said: "I think so. They are a really tough,
hard-working side who have quality and a lot of variations.
"They can play in different ways. It's also an amazing
stadium and a beautiful atmosphere.
