Mikel Arteta tells Arsenal team-mates: 'Play like that again and forget Euro triumph'

Gunners suffered dismal defeat at Borussia Dortmund

Mikel Arteta pictured during Borussia Dortmund vs Arsenal (GETTY IMAGES)

Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal team-mates the club have no prospect of winning the Champions League for the first time in their history this season if they play as they did in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund.

An insipid performance away to the German side saw Arsenal well beaten in their first group game of the new campaign, with a worry over the fitness of Jack Wilshere, who was struggling with an injury to his right ankle in the closing stages of the game.

Asked about the injury after the game, Wilshere replied “I’m fine”.

Arteta said Arsenal had fallen well short. “If you make the mistakes we did, against top sides, we know there is no chance to win the Champions League,” the midfielder said. “We have to react. We have to analyse what we have done wrong and try to improve.

“We encouraged them to [attack] by giving the ball away so many times in very difficult positions where the team is open. When that is the situation, they are very good. They exploit the spaces very well and put us under pressure.

“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.”

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain said that Saturday’s game at Aston Villa was a test his side had to pass if they are to challenge for the Premier League title. “Villa are a good side,” the attacking midfielder said. “We have to be at the required level. If we believe in ourselves as title contenders this year we will have to go with the belief that we will win the game.”