Steven Gerrard felt defensive details cost his Aston Villa side from walking away with something to show for their efforts at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday evening.
Arsenal were buoyant after winning their first four matches of the Premier League campaign, and they took the lead through Gabriel Jesus after 30 minutes.
The visiting Villans improved after the break and equalised when Douglas Luiz scored direct from a corner.
However, three minutes later, the Gunners struck the decisive blow via Gabriel Martinelli, leaving Gerrard to rue what might have been.
He said: “I thought the lads’ effort and what they gave to the game was there – that was clear to see. We’ve given an awful lot.
“Our technical level in the first half in possession was not good enough. We kept turning the ball over, we kept kicking it out of play, we kept getting dispossessed, and with the talent we’ve got in the room, we need to be better in that department.
“We did ever so well to stay with Arsenal for 45 minutes, with people putting bodies on the line and great saves from our ‘keeper.
“Second half and at half-time, I demanded more quality, more technical level to keep the ball for longer periods. Otherwise we couldn’t cause the damage that we wanted to cause.
“We grew into the game in the second half. We looked more dangerous, we looked more threatening and we scored a wonderful goal to get ourselves in the place we wanted to be.
“We wanted to be in this game at the final stages, we wanted to make it uncomfortable for Arsenal, but then we go and get moments wrong, defensively, again. We’ve conceded two poor goals because we haven’t got the detail of defending right.”
Villa’s second-half performance in north London contained elements that Gerrard wanted to see from the first whistle.
The head coach felt the team’s improvement can give them confidence heading into Saturday’s game against Manchester City.
“I thought we looked dangerous, we looked better in the second half, we kept the ball for longer periods and we looked like a team that can play,” he said.
“We do possessions every single day, but I didn’t see evidence of that in the first half. I definitely saw a reaction and a better team in the second half.
“We were much better and much stronger in the second half. That’s what I want to see.”
