Arteta left frustrated by costly errors as top spot is lost - but vows to turn the page quickly

A defiant Mikel Arteta says his players will quickly move on from the disappointment of a shattering defeat to Man City - and that he will take great encouragement from the way his team played at times against the champions.

Wednesday night's 3-1 reverse at the Emirates ended Arsenal's long sojourn at the top of the Premier League table and the loss had an ominous feel to it. Pep Guardiola's men have the momentum now, even if the teams remain tied on points with the Gunners having a game in hand.

"We just move on now," the Spaniard said. "We realise why we lost the game and we have to move on. The boys did exceptionally well and the atmosphere was incredible. It's just a shame that we didn't get the points.

"We have to pick up points. The performances are there, for sure, but we have given too much away today and we weren't ruthless enough to convert our chances. That's what we have to improve.

"But it's a marathon. I said it three months ago and I said it again today - it's about tomorrow and the most important thing is how we are tomorrow and how we focus on that. We don't know what's going to happen."

Speaking of the challenge City posed, Arteta said: "It's exceptionally difficult to play at the level they require you to play to have the chance to win and I think we did it and for many moments, we had them.

"But if you give three goals away, the way we did, that gives them the game - especially when you don't put the big chances that we had away.

"The margin for error with them is almost zero and it's a shame, because we really had them."

The Arsenal boss is aware that individual errors were very costly for his side and it added to the sense of frustration. Takehiro Tomiyasu was punished for a woeful backpass and Gabriel gifted the ball for the second Man City goal.

"We did a lot of simple things wrong and put ourselves in trouble," he said. "Errors happen but they are part of the risks that we take.

"I've never seen Tomiyasu make that backpass in seven years but they have the quality to punish him.

"They [the players] are all feeling down because they knew that we could do much better today to get a very different result."

Next up for the Gunners is a trip to Aston Villa for a Saturday lunchtime clash.