Lukas Fabianski insists he and his West Ham United teammates are not disheartened despite losing 3-1 to Arsenal, with the goalkeeper taking the positives from a strong performance.
The Irons took the lead in Saturday’s away fixture thanks to Marko Arnautovic’s second goal of the season, but fell to defeat after Nacho Monreal and Danny Welbeck netted, with an Issa Diop own-goal sandwiched between.
Despite being on the losing end, Fabianski says he can see the team doing plenty of things right, and should be reflecting on the strong, attacking intent shown by the side.
“The only sad thing from today’s game is that we lost,” Fabianski said. “Looking at it, it was a close game, and even in the last minutes of the game we had the chance to equalise.
From what I saw today, even though we lost, I think we’re going in the right direction
Lukas Fabianski
There were a lot of positives, particularly going forward. We created a lot of really good chances and got in some strong positions, playing away from home, but there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“From what I saw today, even though we lost, I think we’re going in the right direction.”
A strong case could be made for West Ham being the better team in the first half, and Arnautovic’s opener, which came after some superb play with Felipe Anderson, was just what the Irons deserved.
The lead lasted just four minutes, however, as Monreal tucked home, before cruel fortune led to Arsenal’s second on 70 minutes. Alexandre Lacazette’s driven cross struck Diop and bounced into the net.
As West Ham pressed hard to equalise, the side was caught out as extra time began, and substitute Danny Welbeck netted from close range.
Poland international Fabianski made a number of excellent saves in Saturday’s match, and says the team is eager to learn from the showing.
He added: “Looking at today’s game, in the first half, it was pretty impressive from our side. We created some great chances, scored a goal, and put them under a lot of pressure. That’s positive. We have to continue to work.
“The second goal was bad luck. We had a chance to clear the ball at least twice, which we didn’t do. In those games, that can cost you the game. We have to keep our focus, and take care of the situation. We will learn.”