Allegri says Napoli are improving despite Arsenal defeat

Massimiliano Allegri believes Napoli showed signs of progress despite their 1-0 defeat by Arsenal, saying the Premier League side needed an exceptional piece of quality to break through.

Napoli were beaten at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium by a single goal, making it three consecutive defeats in all competitions for the Italian club.

“The first half was more balanced because we had more energy in our legs, particularly as several players were making their first starts of the season,” Napoli manager Allegri told Sky.

“We were also able to move the ball with greater quality. We made some wrong decisions in the final third, such as putting crosses into the box when we did not have players there. We also know how good Arsenal are defensively.”

Allegri said Napoli’s mistakes had left them vulnerable against a team of Arsenal’s standard, but praised the response of his players after the interval.

“There were some positives, but when you make that many wrong decisions against a team of this level, you risk being punished,” he said.

“In the second half, Arsenal imposed themselves and we showed a good spirit of sacrifice.”

He added: “Arsenal are an exceptional team, but our willingness to work hard, remain patient when defending deep and avoid conceding were positive signs.

“We conceded goals too easily against Como and Inter, so there was a clear improvement in our concentration tonight.”

Napoli had previously lost 5-1 to Como before suffering a 3-2 defeat by Inter, despite taking a 2-0 lead in that match. The loss to Arsenal completed a difficult run of three successive setbacks.

Asked to compare the defeats, Allegri said: “They were three completely different losses. The way we conceded five goals against Como and Inter was ridiculous, but tonight Arsenal needed an exceptional moment of quality to score against us.”

The result marks Napoli’s longest losing sequence since Walter Mazzarri’s time in charge in 2023. The club have also lost three of their first four matches this season, their worst start since the 2000-01 season.

Allegri acknowledged the disappointment within the squad but said the players could take credit for their effort against Arsenal.

“The players are frustrated after this defeat because they really gave everything they had,” he said.