Warnock hails Cardiff’s performance against Arsenal as the best of the season
Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock felt that it was important for the team to give a good account of themselves on an emotional night in Wales after the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal.
It was Cardiff’s first match since the mysterious disappearance of club record signing Emiliano Sala’s plane while travelling from Nantes back to the capital of Wales.
The search was called off on Thursday before Sala’s family reached a crowdfunding target of €300,000 to resume the rescue operation.
Tributes were paid to Sala before the game, as daffodils were handed out with the official match programme, while Arsenal included his name in Cardiff’s squad.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette scored for the Gunners before Nathaniel Mendez-Laing claimed a consolation in second-half injury time for Cardiff.
Cardiff striker Bobby Reid missed a couple of wonderful opportunities to open the scoring in the first half, leaving Warnock to rue those missed chances but the manager was very happy with his team’s overall performance.
“We talked about Emiliano before the game and I thought it was appropriate that we gave a good account of ourselves against a good side and I thought we could’ve won the game,” Warnock told BBC Sport.
“What a performance, if Arsenal had our chances they would’ve beaten us by four. Nineteen shots at the Emirates, it’s definitely our best performance of the season.”
