Last May, Arsenal travelled to Newcastle needing a win to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive.
In his pre-game team talk, Arteta told his players: “Now it’s about confidence, believe in each other, guys. Believe in yourselves and play. I want to see determination from the start. So go, go forward, guys, play forward, go forward and take initiative in the fucking game. Energy from the first minute, I want to see that we want it more than them in every single ball.”
It ended very badly. “They were 10,000 times better than us,” Arteta told his players afterwards. “It’s fucking embarrassing,” he added.
The 2-0 capitulation was painful at the time and then on repeat when it became the focal point of the final episode of Amazon’s ‘All or Nothing’ documentary.
12 months later and the Gunners head to St James’ Park knowing they need a win to have any chance of taking their title challenge down to the wire.
While much has happened in the last 11 months to suggest Arsenal can get the result they need, the pressure is very much on to prove the doubters wrong.
Interestingly, despite using negative experiences to provoke reactions from his players on previous occasions, the manager is not interested in framing the upcoming clash as an opportunity for revenge.
“I don’t think so,” he said when asked if he can use last season’s defeat as extra motivation.
“There is not a lot to motivate from there, there are a lot of things we have to do much better than we did on the day. It’s a different group of players as well and where we are today is very different to that group.
“It is a very different game. It was a year ago with different players, a different game but we’ll have to play much better than we did last year, that’s for sure.
“We know that it is going to be a really tough game because especially at home they’ve been really good.”
If anything, Arsenal’s chance for revenge came and went in January when the Geordies parked the bus at Emirates Stadium and escaped with a 0-0 draw.
“We will try to play the game that we want and they will want to play a very different game, that’s for sure. That was the battle when we played them at Emirates Stadium, I think we deserved to win the game,” said Arteta reflecting on a frustrating match.
“There are things that are obviously going to be different from the last game and we’re going to have to be better to earn the right to win it.
“We don’t have to make a statement to anybody,” he stressed.
“We have to play our best game, and play as well as we possibly can to earn the right to win the game.”
Oh to be a fly on the wall of the away dressing room at 3.50pm on Sunday.
We can win the game and put the pressure on Man City. But our boys need to watch out against complacency which has been our bane especially against Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton this season, where we dropped 6 massive points. Both defeats against Man City this season is just an inferiority complex thing against the Champions. Once we can get get rid of it, we’ll start beating them. Lesser football clubs go to Man City and come out with results. It’s just in our heads.
Agree there is a mentality thing but that door swings both ways. City tend to lose games to counter attacking mid table sides while they are trying to achieve 300,000 passes but with us they are really up for the game since Arteta arrived.
Actually I was wrong, we only need a draw to secure second place, much rather a win though. COYG
Earn the right to win and kick that clogging foul merchant Dan burn a few times while we’re at it.
The title’s gone, whatever we do now; but I want to see a quality performance at St James Park on Sunday.
I’m not fooled by the performance against Chelsea: the Blues were awful. Newcastle will be a different prospect altogether.
Six weeks ago I would have strongly fancied us to go there and get a win; since we collapsed after the Liverpool game our form has been rubbish.
I draw in the North-East guarantees us second: it’s not good enough but it’s the best we can do now.
With the squad we have at the moment, I think second is absolutely good enough. Yes, it’s a shame we had that poor run because some of it seemed avoidable. That we lasted as long as we did ahead of City is incredible given the quality of our bench versus theirs. Having to literally be perfect to get ahead of them is not easy. This season has highlighted progression, and also where we’re still short. Particularly RB, CB and CM.
I think next season is when we reach peak Artetaball, with the right signings.
It’s a five year plan so peak Arteta ball happens after next season.
Nah, this is 100% about revenge. We owe that lot one after last season. That must be the motivation. We have to get ahead early and shut the crowd up, mark Guimaraes out of the game and cut any supply lines to Isak.
They’re a better team than this time last season so it’s going to be tougher.
Many people talk about Newcastle’s success this season as a sign of great management more than anything, because the playing personnel hasn’t yet been overhauled, and I think that’s partly true. However, I also think the players, knowing an overhaul is part of the plan, have had a massive point to prove all season (i.e., don’t replace me!), which helps to explain the team’s overachievement. Every week you have an eleven that is supremely motivated.
I hope I remember to post this tomorrow…west coast time across the pond here. I just read the article by Keown about Bog Sam. It made me think…I agree with some parts of what blogs wrote about him but he is a badass! Look at what he just did…he said to the football world: “ I am a badass world class manager. I am going to prove it with this team. They are damn well going to prove it as they prove who and what they are. Bring It On! I personally cannot think of a better way to keep… Read more »
What I want is revenge for the 0-0 at Emirates earlier this season. 2 blatant penalty calls ignored by refs with their double standards. Any City player goes down and most likely it’s a penalty for them. We were excellent this season and got robbed many times, and when on a bad run of course PGMOL 2.0 under Webb made sure to stick it on us. Win vs Newcastle and we may just see City having mental fatigue as end of season approaches and they feel nerves in the CL.