Mikel Arteta says Arsenal his players won’t ease up in their three remaining games despite Arsenal’s chances of qualifying for Europe hanging by a thread.
The Gunners, ninth after Sunday’s 3-1 win over West Bromwich Albion, have to finish seventh to secure a place in the inaugural edition of the Europa Conference League but have only three games to overhaul a four-point gap on Sp*rs and overtake one of Everton, Liverpool or West Ham.
The odds are stacked against his side, especially as the next game is against Thomas Tuchel’s high-flying Chelsea, but the boss insists the least that can be expected of his players is that they fight to the end.
“We have a huge responsibility to win every game that we play when we represent this football club,” he said.
“And as well, if anybody can question anything, our level, our ability, whatever it is, they can. But our attitude, that’s a non-negotiable one.
“Right up to the end, we have to try to win our matches and see what happens.”
It’s been five years since Arsenal celebrated a St Totteringham’s Day and that too is a driving factor.
“That’s another motive,” said Arteta. “We know that’s very important as well. But we can control our results and at the moment, we cannot control there’s. We have to do it in our matches.”
Arteta made six changes for the win over the Baggies and could well rotate again on Wednesday when we head to Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen whether any of the injured squad members will be fit.
David Luiz, Pablo Mari and Granit Xhaka all missed the visit of the Baggies with injuries and goal scorer Emile Smith Rowe limped off with a hamstring issue.
“Let’s see how they recover,” said Arteta. “We’ve lost so many players in recent weeks, so many big players, it’s had a huge effect on the team. It would be great because we have a very difficult game against them.”
“boss insists the least that can be expected of his players is that they fight to the end”
If Thursday’s performance counts for that then let’s save ourselves the agony of anticipation and just write everything off now.
Cue a draw or a loss in the next game.
Chelsea away so I’d say that a given.
We really should only be playing players who either need experience or whom we have decisions to make on them. Continuing to play the old guard is just pointless regardless of results.
With no European football I wonder if we’ll see a few bigger names such as Auba or Xhaka push for the exit themselves.
Auba got massive money in a new contract, delivered nothing and will push for the exit?
We’re a mid table club who is simply hoping to make it back to the Europa league in a year. That’s not exactly am attractive proposition for players with real choices.
I would. if his agent isn’t calling around, Auba should fire him.
I mean, there’s probably a number that would get us to sell. I doubt anyone will offer that amount, but it exists.
Arsenal wont sell Auba below 30mn pounds. His salary is 300k pounds per week, and he will ask for a min 3 yr contract
That is a 60-70mn spend, which club can/will buy Auba?
Arteta will be using this to talk about willian’s scintillating form, nothing left to play for and he finally gets a goal and arsenal a win. This non negotiable BS about attitude is pathetic. Teams with proper attitude done wait until the season is over to go on a winning steak.
Back the fkn manager and shut the fck up with the whining. He’s been with us 18 months and already has won the fa cup. Give him another 3 transfer windows to finally get rid of the shite in the squad and build his own team and not try and get a tune out of the dregs of the wenger era and the chaos that was Emery. Only then can you judge him. Otherwise what do you want? Some third rate version of Chelsea? Chop the skipper every 12 fkn months? Everybody on here moaning about Arteta being the reason… Read more »
Heh. We’ve already got a third rate Chelsea. Which you managerial hero is largely responsible for.
You might be overstating your point a little bit (!!) here, but I don’t disagree with you. It drives the majority of people on here utterly mad though.
I don’t know why, but I’m still blown away almost every day that I read the comments sections on Arseblog just how much Arsenal fans dislike their players and their manager! I guess it’s the nature of the beast — I’ll never forget my father complaining about Pires being “afraid of the tackle” during the Invincibles season …
Fans want to see progress. It’s a little disingenuous in a season where we finished mid-table, barely even put up a fight in a European semi-final and played a brand of football that put us 12th in the PL in big chances created (41 vs. Citeh has 72 so far etc). to talk about how Arsenal fans just dislike their players & manager. This season by any metric you can apply has been an abject failure. Even Wenger stuck the boot in Arteta last week and talked about how the league position is a true reflection of the team’s quality.… Read more »
No one disagrees that the season has been a massive disappointment, but not all of us see the value or the wisdom in ripping everything up just yet. Rebuilds take patience and understanding, and that is, as you say, in very short supply here. But I suspect that is informing the board’s decision to maintain faith in Arteta for now and not that they “just don’t want to have to try to find a new manager.”
I’m all for patience of a rebuild, turn out over to the youth. If they get half the chances and patience the “experienced” players have had and continue to get then we’ll be fine. But it makes no sense to continue to rely on a bunch of guys that we continue to go backwards with and yes I’ll nane names. Willian, ceballos, xhaka, Luiz, among others should not be playing anywhere near the games they play. We’ve gone no where with them so why do we continue to persist. We also need to move away from signing overpriced and overpaid… Read more »
Naming Arteta the manager was easily one of the largest self-inflicted mistakes the clubs has made the past 12 months or so. The issue is he’s wildly inexperienced & there’s no one at the club who really can tell him no now, as Edu functionally works for him.
I’m ok with the idea of bringing in an experienced sporting director & letting him decide on Arteta. But having Arteta in charge of everything shows how little this club learned from Wenger’s last few years.
We are playing the youth, and they are starring for us. In my view, we need to still have active, engaged veterans in the starting lineup to help develop the youth. Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Willock have all praised the older players this season for contributing to their professionalization. I don’t think it would be good for anyone to promote the entire U23 side to the PL, especially since they were almost relegated! The youth can say a lot with their feet, and boy do they, but there have to be some senior players in that playing side who shoulder the… Read more »
Daveo is right – we haven’t played the youth. We’ve played Saka who was already playing when Arteta took over & since Christmas ESR. We’ve largely just relied on older /established players this year & have given very few opportunities to other younger players. I know you’re a huge Arteta fan but it would be more credible if you stopped defending every decision he makes as the right one. He’s done a terrible job this year – you don’t end up with the results we have with this squad otherwise. Hopefully he improves massively since apparently we are sticking with… Read more »
Well said.
I’m all for the hope for better things. But the blind faith mantras being peddled about by some on here are ridiculous – we’ve got to be realistic.
For example, much as I hate Kroenke, I have to accept that the twat isn’t going anywhere soon; neither is Arteta and consequently neither is my despair that this club cannot and will not realistically challenge for the title until such a time that they are both gone.
The results don’t lie.
The Premiership table doesn’t lie.
And some people on here need to wake the fuck up.
I WISH we were a third rate Chelsea. More like 10th rate.
We are ninth.
Let’s look at the importance of games over the last couple months (I’ll rank them 1-10, 10 being most important, ranking in [ ]): WBA (H) 3-1: [1] (most unimportant game of the season) Villareal (H) 2nd leg 0-0: [10] (biggest game of the season – fail) Newcastle (H) 2-0: [2] (at least important to keep spirits high before 2nd leg) Villareal (A) 2-1: [9] (pathetic – only luck kept it close) Everton (H) 1-0: [6] (we had another chance, due to rivals dropping points to lift ourselves into European battle again against a rival for the spots – failed,… Read more »
Yeah all hail Willian, he scored an absolute scorcher after the season has gone to shit and has rightfully earned his place in the starting XI next season. I used to feel so reassured listening to Arteta at the starting of the season, even though I didn’t like/agree on a lot of decisions he made. But now I feel like screaming my head off just listening to him. In fact, no one is talking about the fact how he’s made squad rebuilding and investment so difficult for himself. What about the numerous mishandling of players that has brought their value… Read more »
So he’s saying they’re irresponsible?
I guess it was irresponsible sacrificing points at home to Fulham and Everton to focus on a knockout competition. Same mistake Emery made.
Is anyone else bored of Mikel’s ramblings?
Not sure what he’s supposed to say? He has to do press, he’s obliged to by the league. Whatever comes out of your manager’s mouth during the bad times is never that palatable.
Did anyone else feel remotely sick after reading that? I question our team’s “level.” I question our team’s “ability.” And fuck-you-Arteta-I’m-not-doing-what-ya-tell-me, I’ll question our team’s shit “attitude.”
I will not be watching any more games next season if this guy is going to be given more time when he is worst than Emery. We got a di*CK head owner, a manager who has no clue, and a bunch of soft and average players!!! It will get worse if something is not done to fix this decline.
So what do you suggest then genius?
1. An experienced manager
2. Stop playing under performing players
3. New owners hopefully, if not we need Stan needs to splash the cash
4. Get a proper capitan who is not late for games
5. Invest in our youth
6. Sell more dead wood players
7. Listen more to fans!!!
8. Put up a fight on the pitch and give 30% every game
9. Make smart subs
*300%
I believe you forgot to change your user name to praise your own comment.
He corrected his comment I believe? Calm the fuck down everyone! 🙂
i believe he was correcting his typo, and also the site is IP logged, so he would need to refresh his VPN to do that.
So: 1. Sam Allardyce then? Or define. 2. Drop Auba and forget his goals? 3. Splash cash on who exactly? 4. Agreed but Captains alone are not the key to major change 5. I think we have invested in youth, this is also contrary to 3 above. Many youth players have been roundly criticised here – until we loan them out. 6. Defining dead wood and spending on replacements just as understudies is tough if we are to focus on youth. 7. Fans on here are at each other in this page alone. Fans returning to stadium will be key… Read more »
Truly inspired performance against future relegation/premier league promotion rival. The future looks bright!
It’s so…..‘exciting’….!! 🥳
Always the same tripe. I was lifted at the start by Arteta’s firm statements, but now they’re just a turn-off.
I’m sure he’s devastated at losing your support.
Lordy lore speaks for the overwhelming majority of us.
You speak for yourself – and possibly a few other Gooner masochists who clearly enjoy Arsenal rotting before their very eyes.
For me Arteta gets until Christmas. Without European distractions we need to be top 6 as a minimum then.
Arteta has made mistakes, but by and large he’s learnt from them. He inherited a team riddled with issues and has gone a long way towards fixing them. A good summer window and a few promotions from the academy could go a long way to fixing the rest.
Perhaps Arteta’s biggest problem, and one that is harder to fix is that he’s unlucky
He’s learnt from what? Benching players in good form? Playing tactics that are not suitable to his players?
Please tell us how he has gone a long way towards fixing the teams issues?
If anything the team has gone backwards
Our defence was the biggest priority. Mustafi and Sokrates have been shown the door and replaced with the far more secure Gabriel and Mari.
Ozil was a bone of contention within the squad and performing poorly, now he’s gone. In has come Partney to give us a real controlling presence.
Smith-Rowe and Saka are now first team regulars and amongst the most exciting talents in the league
He is unlucky? I’ve heard it all now. So he wasn’t lucky when Pulisic (who was absolutely shredding us to pieces) got injured during the FA Cup final and had to be taken off, thus making it easier for us to mount a comeback? He is many things but unlucky isn’t one. Even getting the job was a huge dose of luck. If he happened to be Roy Hodgson’s assistant, no way is he getting that Arsenal call.
Yes, unlucky. As a clear example, I give you Luiz’ red card against Wolves. How many points have we lost to a ridiculous card, freak goal or bizarre penalty decisions?
We don’t create chances which is why we focus so heavily on moments of “luck”. This is a direct result of how Arteta has set the team up and coached them. Take the Villareal game where we hit the post twice. In a game where we knew before hand we needed to win we were slow on the ball and managed to create all of 2 shots on goal. We feel so unlucky b/c we’re such a poor team at this point that we can’t overcome virtually anything going against us. None of those decisions really should have been game… Read more »
I have watched the Arsenal for 53 years and I feel qualified to say this: we have indeed been frustratingly shite at key moments this season; our manager has made some baffling selections and subs But… we have also been as unlucky as I can ever remember – ridiculous reds; farcical VAR calls (the last batch of ‘offsides’ being the cherry!); injuries at the worst possible times; even our rookie manager get hit with Covid in the midst of what was a promising start… It’s been a crappy season but – again after the learnings of half a century on… Read more »
Unlucky is the same as saying we have a good attitude and yet we seem to fall apart in big games and produce our best when the pressure is off. We were frightfully lucky to even have a chance in the 2nd leg against Villareal (dive and some other very questionable decisions went our way). As Atom has pointed out we are set up so conservatively the team has to exist way more than necessary on luck (one way or the other) to get results. We are almost always existing on fine margins. I don’t buy the bad luck in… Read more »
The FA cup run was a totally unsustainable way to play as it required us to convert at absolutely crazy levels relative to chances created. If you watch good teams they focus on quickly getting the ball back to attack & attempting to pin opponents back knowing that if they create enough quality chances a goal will come. We are extremely slow whenever we get the ball back & allow teams to reset defensively which makes attacking that much harder. If you don’t create a lot of chances you’re just not going to score a lot of goals. It’s not… Read more »
Are you high on something? This dude is the luckiest man alive. Coz only in a club like arsenal would such mediocrity be tolerated. Everything that works with this team, every change , he has lucked out on and then stuck with it regardless of opposition. The guy’s incompetence is so glaring am amazed he still got anyone in his corner. Our fan base is so fickle, little wonder we are a joke at the moment. I can name 4 managers in the bottom half of the table who would do a far better job than this pretender.
Not denying what you’re saying but interested to know who you think those 4 managers are.
I’d venture that Dyche, Potter, Hodgson and Parker couldn’t have done worse.
You must have forgotten Hodgson’s season at Liverpool! It’s a totally different pressure at a big club. Where you’re expected to be consistent throughout the season, not just hope for 1 or 2 patches of good form to keep you safe from relegation and the sack Which is precisely why Arteta should be learning his trade somewhere like Palace or Brighton and not us I do quite rate Potter though, I have a feeling he’ll end up being a big club manager (or take the cop out route and be England manager). Wouldn’t be my 1st choice to replace Arteta,… Read more »
Youd be hard pressed to find a manager in the premier league who could have made as much of a pigs ear of arsenals season as arteta has
Hes a very lucky man that there are no fans allowed in the stadium. If there was hed be gone by now
You’re right about one thing (and one thing only): being a fickle fan.
Though you probably don’t see that through your one jaundiced eye.
What’s fickle about 13 league defeats in a single season?
His bad luck is largely of his own making though. If you only create a couple of chances in a game (whether or not you are the better side) you put yourself at risk of a sucker punch. We should be creating 15 chances per game minimum. Then if we lose we can call ourselves unlucky (or maybe just wasteful).
We would have no problems making the top 4 if only the league awards points for empty talk.
Arteta is like the colleague at work who delivers nothing but keeps the senior management happy by talking a good game in meetings.
Why didnt Willian and Pepe play like this against Villareal? Beating relegation bound Wba is a no brainer.
Beating Chelsea will console fans after the sf exit
Mate, what’s your problem with Pepe….?
The guy hasn’t been utilised properly since he arrived at the club. Benched for months and then switched from wing to wing to the centre and back out on a wing again. That he’s managed a reasonable return in goals this season has been quite the achievement, given the manager’s shoddy tactics and treatment of him.
A decent manager, allowing free-flowing football, would have a purring goal and assist machine by now.
Honestly, some of you on here have no idea.
There are alot of big games when given the chance he does fuck all. I dont care about his price tag anymore we obviously got shafted on that. Hes a half decent player when he wants to turn up he doesnt seems to have the minerals to knuckle down and become any better than that. 2 seasons in and hes still inconsistant and gives the ball away alot and kills forward momentum with a bad 1st touch or by refusing to ever take his man on. Well done to him today but to suggest he will ever be a purring… Read more »
He got his fair share of our goals in Europe. He’s one of the few players we have with a decent shot on him and he can curl them too.
As I say, a manager who allows free flowing football would get far more out of him – ditto the rest of the team.
He has 6 goals, 41st in the Premier League and 1 more than Lewis Dunk.
Having to appease this manager and play LEGOball all season, it’s a minor miracle that Pepe – or anyone else for that matter – got any goals at all.
As for Pete’s totals, add his Euro goals and treat yourself to a reassessment of the guy’s goal scoring prowess alongside that of his current Arsenal teammates this season….
*Pepe – not Pete!! 🤣
Maybe because WBA were easier to play against than Villareal?
Tactically Arsenal are one dimensional.Its pass and pass and this slows down the attack.
Indeed if u watch how other teams score,no wonder the gunners have a problem scoring,let alone win.They ard trying to bteach a fort .
I urge fans to watch how Chelsea beat Man C
with swift passing.
Our play infuriates me. We’re so painfully slow. We take a fucking age over everything – even getting the ball out of our own half. Constantly checking back when in possession – especially on a break or a counter – slowing it down to the point where the opposition have XI behind the ball again. Constantly playing inside and backwards. No passion. No inspiration. No excitement. Treating the opposition D like it’s some sort of fucking minefield. Constantly giving away possession. Unable to take a decent corner. Giving away needless bookings. Not getting our heads up. No one bothering to… Read more »
Everytime I hear this guy speak, I want to get under my blanket and sleep until the future where he is no longer our manager has happened.
Label Wednesdays game( and the other couple this season) under “ who gives a fuck?”.
I will go against the trend expressed here. Come on chaps, I believe in you. Finish the season with 3 wins and see how it ends up. I dare ya!
Well said. It’s still Arsenal and we should still be supporting the team (not talking about the owner here), although we can criticise them when they c*ck it up.
But mate, there has to come a point where you have to ask if what you’re supporting is worth that support.
Does Arteta deserve our support, given the pigswill we’ve been served up since August….?
I no longer think he does.
We’ll lose to Chelsea probably like 3-1 because it’s a bigger game against a rival and we have a mathematical chance at Europa spot. Then we’ll beat Palace and Brighton with absolutely nothing to play for and at the end of the season we’ll be like 2 pts out of 7th and it will show a victory in any of the bigger EPL games over the last couple of months (Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea, West Ham, or even the Fulham draw) and we would have made it. Rinse and repeat year after year.
“But we can control our results”. Really? Not sure about that one.
This guy and his pressers are nothing but mumbojumbo and he just doesn’t have it in him yet to become a manager of a PL team because he is tactically poor and his player management skills are rudimentary.
And he ain’t no boss, because that title has to earned.
I really liked our shape yesterday when with the ball. Almost a 325. We’ve done it before and I don’t know why Arteta went away from it. It keeps us solid at the back, the midfield can control the game well, and the forward 5 have a lot of freedom to roam around and cause problems.
Leno
Chamber Holding Gabriel
Elneny Ceballos
Pepe ESR Martinelli Willian Saka
Spurs have given us so many chances to overtake them. Amazing that we are scrabbling around for points AND praying for them to drop points.
Yes, we’ve certainly had chances to move up the table, or at least to put real pressure on the teams immediately above us, but have never managed to do it and have been stuck at/around mid-table for what seems forever now.
Given the few games remaining, we may be able to move up a place but other teams will need to drop points so I think we’ll probably end up where we are. Infuriating, but that’s probably our watchword this season.
One of the few things to bring a wry smile to my lips has been the latest stats from our ‘mates’ up the Seven Sisters Road.
No matter how bad things are on the home front, that lot remain the gift that keeps on giving…….
«Lost so many big players, huge effect on the team..»
MA- this is pure BS, a sorry excuse for not setting up the right team in both matches vs Villareal, too much micromanagement and poor match management
Want to know how bad Arsenal is now? Do we have anyone playing in the Euros this year?
I miss the days when France was my second favourite team.
Possibly Saka I would think.
How many of us actually went out and bought France shirts for casual wear – loads of us..!!
I remember the Daily Mirror headline above a picture of Manu Petit and Paddy ( one of their better ones, it has to be said)
ARSENAL WIN THE WORLD CUP
Wrong. We should be doing whatever will allow us to win games NEXT year.
I don;t believe that includes playing loanees who are leaving (God Willing) in a month.
Does he know what those words mean?
Responsibility, non-negotiable.
Well what happens when you fail?
If the answer is: “Nothing,” he hasn’t grasped either concept.
If you have a responsibility to win and you have a season like this one, you can’t also say you should keep your job, having clearly failed.
Arteta speaks in management buzzwords that don’t actually mean anything.
This fan-base really struggles to celebrate anything. #ArtetaIN
What you mean is that some of this fan base celebrate this club being 9th in the table and losing 13 league games in a season ( and counting)
The rest of us the vast majority) want this delusional muppet out.
ARTETA OUT
Literally nobody is celebrating being 9th. Man, I know you’re upset with this season and you have every right to be, but the relentless anger at EVERYTHING is too much. You’re going to do your blood pressure no good.
Andrew, point taken mate. My apologies if I come across as an apoplectic thug – never my intention. In fact, in all honesty, I’m beyond anger – I was far angrier in August and even more so at Christmas. Now, I’ve become resigned to the club’s position in terms of where we’re at in the league, the omnipresent owner and manager combo and the certain well documented antics of certain players. What does annoy me now though, is people like the dude above here who take it upon themselves to take the entire fan base to task for not celebrating… Read more »
Calling Arteta a muppet is just being toxic though bud.
Many people are angry, beyond angry but lets represent the Arsenal fan base with some emotional maturity!
I refer you to the answer I gave to Blogs. Football fandom is centred around emotional response – and anger is probably the most predominant response from your average football fan since the dawn of time – or certainly in the history of the game. For a better example, I refer you to Nick Hornby’s classic semi-autobiographical book, ‘Fever Pitch’ – if you haven’t already read it. Hornby himself is actually a very mature mellow minded guy, but his observations of angry supporters shed some light beyond the rhubarb calls for ‘emotional maturity’ being asked for a good deal nowadays.… Read more »
calling a spade a spade
NOT GOOD ENOUGH. Look what Tuchel has done. Even Ancelotti appointed roughly similar time frame with far poorer assets at everton. Not to mention West Ham and Leicester (even arguably Villa) And when you factor Unai back into another europa final (Villareal also far more humbly resourced)… poor from Arteta 18 months in. Only issue is what are the options consideirng several CL clubs are in market for new managers plus Euros will complicate timing on Intl managers that may be released (like Low) But we need a more dynamic brand of football and someone more experience working with players.… Read more »
agree, just look at certain players when they came in and today: ceballos, odegaard, partey, auba, gabriel mar, gabriel mag, marí…
Agreed.
Can’t believe how those cunts have slipped into two major finals on the quiet.
Much as I dislike both Leicester City and Manchester City, I hope they pulverise them respectively.
That said, you have to admire how Tuchel has turned it around, because even we beat Fat Frank at Wembley.
An honest question here:
Tierney (although I think that’s more due to playing regularly than specifically Arteta) and Pepe. (I feel like Saka and ESR are rare gems who would have probably improved under anybody). Xhaka is consitently above average now. That’s an improvement. Willian, Aubameyang, Partey, Cedric, AMN, Ceballos, Bellerin (though that one is probably to do with fitness issues), Leno (to a point), arguably Gabriel and Martinelli. Nelson, Nketiah and Saliba, Guendouzi, and Torreira have certainly lost their place on the team. You don’t replace Xhaka, you do something different. Xhaka’s skillset is very particular and not too easy to find. I… Read more »
Saka. I can only dream of what he’d be doing if the players were allowed to play freely. Mesut Ozil. Barely given an opportunity. His omission last August was a fucking disgrace and our lack of creativity and nose dive towards relegation (before ESR was introduced at Christmas) came as no surprise to me. Lucas Torreira. He should be in the side now – and Xhaka should have been sold long ago after the shirt and fans incident. If Arteta is still at the helm, then the same as this season. Mid table at best – a relegation dogfight at… Read more »