Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has opened up about how painful it was to lose the Premier League title to Liverpool. He admitted it “hurt in my tummy” and that he only managed to watch a little bit of Liverpool’s title celebrations.

Liverpool, led by coach Arne Slot, secured the league title last weekend after a huge 5-1 win over Tottenham. With four games still left to play, they were officially crowned champions.

When asked about missing out on the title, Arteta said, “Yeah, big time. It really hurt, in my tummy. I know they were the more consistent team and had everything needed to win, but it still hurts.”

Even though it was painful, Arteta gave credit to Liverpool. He said, “I want to congratulate Liverpool for what they’ve done. They managed the team well and stayed consistent. They truly deserved to win. They had a strong squad and many qualities.”

Arteta also shared that he watched only a small part of Liverpool’s celebrations. “It can give you some motivation, but that’s not my main motivation. Still, watching it definitely hurt.”

Despite the disappointment, the Arsenal boss is already focused on finishing the season strong and trying again next year.