Mikel Arteta acknowledges that his Arsenal team fell short on ‘energy’ in their draw against Crystal Palace

Mikel Arteta has acknowledged that Arsenal must regain their “energy” ahead of their Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain following a disappointing 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace that has left Liverpool close to clinching the Premier League title.

Arteta’s team aimed to warm up for their first semi-final appearance in the Champions League since 2009 with a win over Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

However, Jakub Kiwior’s header within three minutes was quickly equalised by Eberechi Eze’s volley in the 27th minute.

Just before half-time, Leandro Trossard restored Arsenal’s lead, but Palace substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta produced a stunning lob over the out-of-position keeper David Raya in the 83rd minute to level the match once more.

With Arsenal sitting 12 points behind Liverpool and only four games remaining, Arne Slot’s team can secure the title if they avoid defeat against Tottenham at Anfield this Sunday.

With their title hunt effectively extinguished weeks ago, Arsenal has shifted their focus to clinching the Champions League for the first time.

Nevertheless, their lacklustre performance against Palace hardly sets the stage for their encounter with the French champions PSG, who have already dispatched Liverpool and Aston Villa on their way to the semi-finals.

“We feel disappointed with both the result and our performance. We lacked the consistency needed to dominate the match,” Arteta commented.

“We needed to perform better in various aspects. Palace were well-organised and deserve credit, but we fell short of our standard.

“We found it difficult to maintain consistency, gave the ball away far too easily, and were slow in our actions. We need to improve tremendously.”

Arteta’s worries are compounded by an injury to Mikel Merino, who missed the Palace match and may also be unavailable for PSG.

A midfielder by trade, Merino has been filling in effectively as a striker due to injuries to Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus.

“We will have to assess their fitness as both were unable to feature in this match,” Arteta stated when queried about Merino and defender Ben White’s availability for the upcoming clash with PSG.

The draw against Palace marked Arsenal’s ninth league stalemate this season while in a leading position, the highest tally by any side in a single season since Tottenham in 2007-08.

‘The most crucial match of the season’

Arsenal’s continued struggle to finish off matches has led to 13 draws across 34 league encounters, bringing Liverpool within reach of a record-equalling 20th English title.

Set to finish as runners-up in the Premier League for the third consecutive season, Arteta’s side hopes to break their five-year trophy drought in spectacular fashion in the Champions League.

Arteta asserted that they remain focused on the task at hand, undistracted by the prospect of reaching the final for the first time since 2006.

However, he conceded that a nearly week-long break before facing Luis Enrique’s team might benefit his injury-plagued squad.

“We’ve talked about ensuring our focus remains sharp and we’ve got time to prepare for PSG, but today we weren’t good enough to win,” he remarked.

“A break is welcome; we truly need it and require players to return to full fitness. With so many unavailable, the standards can drop.

“In six days, we have our most important game of the season. We need to restore our energy.”

With an FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa looming this Saturday, Crystal Palace could have been forgiven for an easier outing in north London.

Manager Oliver Glasner opted to start key attackers Mateta and Ismaila Sarr on the bench to keep them energetic for Wembley, yet Palace put forth a spirited effort.

“Our goal wasn’t to determine the title race; our aim was to win the game. A draw is a commendable result. What matters more is our performance. We’re back on track,” Glasner expressed.