Hull City boss rues mistakes in Arsenal loss

Hull City manager Steve Bruce and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (right) before the Barclays Premier League match at the KC Stadium, Hull.

But the Tigers boss also rued his team’s mistakes - and luck – as they slipped to fourth bottom.

“One thing we wanted to do in the second half is make sure it’s not one of those ridiculously horrible evenings,” he said. “When they have their tails up and are playing well Arsenal are as good as any team in Europe.

“We stuck at it in difficult circumstances. They are hard enough to play against when they get proper goals so to have two deflections was cruel.

“But you can’t give the ball away, and that’s so unlike us, especially in the middle of the pitch - we needed the luck and the roof has caved in.”

Hull face fellow strugglers Burnley on Saturday in a potentially decisive game at the bottom.

“It’s not going to keep us up or send us down,” Bruce added. “But we’ve still got it all to do.

“It’s a big game and this has been a difficult evening to we have to dust ourselves down and if we can get a result it will be a brighter picture.”