Arsenal’s title hopes took a severe dent when they suffered a shock defeat to Aston Villa last weekend before their elimination from the Champions League after a lacklustre performance against Bayern Munich
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players they should feel LUCKY to be where they are right now.
Most people are viewing it as a week to forget for the title-chasing Gunners. On Sunday they lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa to hand champions Manchester City a big advantage.
And on Wednesday they slipped meekly out of the Champions League following a 1-0 loss at Bayern Munich. Manager Arteta refused to see it that way though – especially as victory at Wolves will put them back on the Premier League summit.
He said: “The players are all very lucky to have had the week that we’ve had. Because these are the weeks that we want and have been seeking for many years to have at Arsenal.
“You have to deal with that. If you want to be in this position, you have to go through it and it’s going to be tough. Against those opponents, the margins are minimal and you have to try to compete to be better than them.
“But maybe even if you are better, you don’t win? Like what happened at home against Bayern and against Villa. Are you ready to react to that? If not you’re not ready to be living these kinds of weeks and we want to be living these kinds of weeks.
“Don’t feel sorry for yourself – if we want to be here we have to be prepared because this is a possibility.”
City and Liverpool were also knocked out of Europe this week. City’s Champions League elimination by Real Madrid saw Pep Guardiola reveal that Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne had both asked to be subbed.
And that came after midfield lynchpin Rodri had asked to be rested for last weekend’s league clash with Luton. Arsenal have a younger squad than their two rivals – and Arteta was adamant they still had enough juice left in the tank to lift the title.
He said: “I’m sure that the players are going to squeeze every drop of energy and effort and that they can. There is still so much energy in this group, especially with what we are playing for. That’s not going to be a concern for sure.”
Arteta was pleased with the news that FA Cup replays will be scrapped from next season. The Spaniard argued that the calendar was so congested for the top teams that something had to give.
He said: “I understand every point of view. Ours and mine is to protect our players. When I looked at how many minutes and games they’ve played in the last two years with no breaks, how many they’re going to have to play in the next two years that’s not healthy for sure.
“Somehow, somewhere we have to reduce the calendar. We have a level that is unbelievable in the Premier League and this cannot be dropped. The players have to be listened to much more, because they are the protagonists.”
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
