Losing fourth spot to Sp*rs, three points at Selhurst Park and two important players to injury made for a first-class sh*tty start to the week for Arsenal.
The challenge for Mikel Arteta and his squad is to get back to winning ways immediately. More dropped points against Brighton on Saturday would be nothing less than disastrous.
“Embrace the challenge,” said the boss when asked about the damage done on Monday.
“You lost, now you want to win, it’s hurting and it’s still hurting. We lost two big players, two really important players for us for sure. But whenever that happens you can’t cry for it because they are not going to be available for us.
“So we have to find other solutions and we have to be as good and as competitive as we have been.”
As things stand, Arsenal’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League remain in our own hands. If defeat to Palace represents a setback, at least it’s not happened at a more decisive moment.
“It’s happened with nine games to go and we have to react now,” he said.
“We have to show tomorrow the energy, the commitment and the passion that we want to play the game tomorrow in front of our fans.
He added: “Training has been very good. We had to recognise why we lost the game and react and move forward as we always do. The only way we can move is forward. Now we move forward. We have to be in constant movement and the players will be ready for tomorrow.”
The Gunners come into the game having score just once in the last three games. Given Graham Potter’s Brighton have scored the third fewest goals in the league (26), not many will be expecting a goalfest at the Emirates.
That said, Arteta isn’t writing it off just yet.
“You never know in football,” he said. “Let’s see what happens tomorrow, but obviously, we’re going to try score more goals and we’re certainly creating the chances to do so.
“We have struggled in recent matches to put the ball in the net and we need to be more efficient in the opponent’s box and tomorrow it’s something we have to do because Brighton is a team that doesn’t concede much.”
He added: “They’re a team with a lot of personality, a coach that is very willing to play, that is very aggressive in the way they press, that wants to dominate the game and they have good players to do that but they are very difficult to beat.
“They don’t concede a lot of chances and opportunities in open play and also set pieces and they’re a threat.”
Fun fact via Opta – Arsenal have lost just one of their last 28 Premier League matches at 3pm on a Saturday (W23 D4)…but that defeat was against Brighton at the Amex in June 2020.
Let’s hope so.
I think if we get 4th now, Arteta will deserve a big fat pay rise and serious good will amongst all the fans. And I say this because I think the next nine games will be played inside our heads as much as on the field. Mikel needs to find a way of removing fear and uncertainty from these young minds and replacing it with positivity and focus. We are at a point in the season now where Wenger failed more times than he succeeded. Where Emery capitulated. This is big time stuff these players are having to deal with.… Read more »
Arguably our easiest “on paper” game left of this season. We NEED to win this and hope sp*RS slip up
Chelsea away looks chill. They’ve just let in 7 goals in two games and Arteta has an unbeaten stamford bridge record to uphold.
Part of me feels like the pressure transferring to sp*rs could work in our favour. If we are chasing (notwithstanding our game in hand) we can be hungrier. Trying to hold off a rival is a different kind of psychological burden which I feel this team may not be ready for yet.
Wenger failed more times than he succeded in achieving top four like succeeding 19 times out of 22?
Dont mind the guy. Some fans ehn…selective amnesia
I was just referring to a season goal in general, not specifically top 4. Like when we are in a title race in February but end up finishing 10 points adrift. We often seemed to lack the winning mentality to get us over the line.
But no, I take your point. He usually delivered when it came to fourth spot.
In those old “fair” days, Wenger managed to beat the favorites Man UTD and Ferguson a couple of times. Then we had to fight with “unfair” rivals, (oily) Chelsea and (oily) City, while we invested in the stadium. So, yes, good judgement requires a good chuck of fairness.
Some of those years are burnt in the memory. Eduardo’s broken leg and Gallas’ tantrum, and the leicester title win in particular. We should have won the league those years.
Top 4 was always there, but it’s not unfair to say we occasionally fell short of realising targets under Wenger.
Wenger made the top four 19 times in 22 seasons. Plus the three Premiership titles, our first Champions League Final and a mere seven FA Cups.
If you’re talking top four – and let’s be honest, this season we are – then I think he succeeded more seasons than he failed, mate.
Incidentally, Arteta is doing the same things Arsene did that made him fail. In ’07 – 08, Arsene had about the best team in Europe. By mid January, we were 8 points better than United after beating Blackburn on a MNF. There was one problem though: Van Persie was injured. Fans and pundits said Arsene needed to sign a striker; he refused. He gambled… and lost. Come early February, Eduardo’s leg is snapped in two at Birmingham! We are left with only Adebayor. Five successive draws later, Man United overtook us and went with the title. ’09 – ’10, enter… Read more »
I’m sure you will come here and praise Mikel and shit on Wenger even if we end up in the 7th spot. That’s the selective amnesia.
I would never shit on Wenger. He’s an absolute club legend and I grew up with his breathtaking football.
But yeah, I probably would do the other thing. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and mine is that Mikel is the real deal and the best thing to happen to our club in a long time.
No bigger motivation for the lads than a quick glance at the table, to see those trophy-dodging cunts above us – albeit only on goal difference.
COYG
I like the way he talks… Here’s 3 points for the taking. Here we go, COYG!!!
It was going to be a rough ride to the end of the season anyway. But without two of our most consistent players in Tierney and Partey, it sure will turn turbulent. Results may start to look ugly from now, but et’s keep the faith with these players who have given their absolute best so far.
*let’s
I don’t have the statistics, but it’s not just Saturday at 3:00. Arsenal have been much better in daylight than at night. Like night and day.
Arsenal is a club of light not darkness.
The light will shine on us in the remaining games of the season and get us over the line
I think because the evening games are past most of our first XI’s bedtimes…
A season defining game. It’s either up or down from here.
An opportunity for Lokonga to show why he was so rated at his former club.
An opportunity for Tavares, if selected, to build some confidence.
I can just imagine the confidence in the team if we beat Brighton and both Lokonga and Tavares put a good performance in.
Here’s to hope.
If Nuno has another stinker could he at least lunge studs up into Maupay? The little pissant deserves it.
Yep, well said.
All things considered, tomorrow is the lowest risk game to play Tavares and get a better idea of what he and Sambi can do.
Here’s to a great game for one and all and three beautiful points at full time.
I’m trying to convince myself with the following theory: Honestly – we should be realistic about our chances and at the same time not abandon our hope that we have a great team in the making. I think that top 4 with the current available squad and injuries may be too much to ask. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t got a bright future. And would you rather have a short term success with a squad and manager like Spurs, who will surely burn out without proper grassroots attention, or have a long term future?
Good. Let’s do this. 👍
COYG
Players will be ready hahaha maybe but not good enough bye bye top 4 – January transfer window has come back to bite us big time