Arsenal’s Jesus says draw at Southampton felt like defeat

Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus said Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Southampton felt like a defeat after the Premier League leaders dominated the first half before losing momentum after the break.

Granit Xhaka opening the scoring for Arsenal before hosts Southampton rallied in the second period with Stuart Armstrong grabbing the equaliser.

“It feels like we lost the game – because of the way we played, the way we created a lot, in the first half more than in the second,” Jesus told Arsenal’s website. “In the second, we dropped a level again.

“It was a bit similar to what happened against Leeds. We have to be smart and see what we’re doing wrong and improve … we have to try to come back at the same level at which we started the season, as a team and individuals.

“There’s no excuses. We have some days to prepare, to work on what we have to do on the pitch. There are some players who need more time to recover, but it’s all about focusing on the pitch.”