Four wins on the bounce, goals flowing, back in the title race, Mbappe joining the club…“everything’s coming up Millhouse” for The Arsenal.
What could possibly go wrong when we travel to relegation-threatened Burnley?
Well, everything. And you sense Arteta has been keen to pass that message on to his players this week.
“It’s the most important part of the season and we know that every fixture is going to play a significant role in what we want to achieve,” Arteta told his pre-game press conference.
“Burnley is the most important one at the moment, a team that is extremely difficult to beat. You look at the results and how teams have drawn or beaten them and it’s been through very small margins.
“They’re extremely well coached, a team that is very competitive so we know that we have a very tough match on Saturday and that’s the only focus for us – to continue to play with the same energy and enthusiasm and play the game, compete in the game in the best way possible and the rest will come.”
While Arsenal revelled in a 6-0 win at West Ham last time out – the club’s biggest away victory in the Premier League – the boss says they must park that result to focus on the next challenge.
“[Even] Faster than [after] a defeat! The defeat in the tummy is good for 48 hours,” he reflected.
“When you win and the way we did it, take the positive energy and carry on but that has to drive to an even better energy and will to keep improving because there are still things that we can do much better.”
Saturday’s clash at Turf Moor pits Arteta against Vincent Kompany with whom he struck up a close relationship at Manchester City. While the Clarets have struggled this season – more than most might have expected given their incredible promotion form – the Spaniard has been impressed by his former charge’s work.
“I have huge respect for him, we had a really good relationship when we worked together and now as well,” said Arteta.
“I have a huge admiration for him. When he was a player, when I worked with him and he was captain, he conducted himself with a special aura around him.
“He’s very well articulated, has great ideas, a very clear vision of how he wants to play the game and on top of that he’s got the courage that I love in a coach, in a player and regardless he brings his sleeves up and gets going. His work ethic is phenomenal.
On Kompany’s qualities, he continued: “It’s the way he can convince people because even when they went through a difficult period, I look at the players, how they behave, the staff, the crowd, they are with him.
“They follow him and are constantly trying to do what he demands them to do and they’ve been really competitive. In my opinion, they’ve been really unlucky with a lot of the results they’ve had this season.
“You just have to see the recent games when they went to Anfield, what they did, and how Liverpool beat them. And it’s going to be at home, which is going to be even more difficult. So it’ll be very tough.”
Arsenal have only lost once to Burnley in 17 Premier League clashes; a god-awful 1-0 defeat at the Emirates in December 2020 that marked the nadir of Arteta’s time in charge.
COYG
I hate this type of games. These teams thne decides to play out their skins and then promptly revert to being shite.
My thoughts exactly, like playing Everton for Dyche’s first game
I would play the same line up against West Ham. West Ham game could have been a random great day for us or the beginning of a great tactical setup. Play Havertz and Trossard again and keep rotating the players position during the game. Let’s see how it works again against a team that will sit deep and try to hit us on the break. I like Zinchenko and what he does but Kiwior gave us that extra security at the back.
Agreed – we need a beast at LB as Burnley will try to get in our faces. Zinch is too fragile on defence.
I think Kompany’s Burnley is capable of outplaying very good teams, at least for a half. But, a little like our group-stage Champions League matches, we have more quality and can take advantage of that. We just have to make sure it’s like Lens at home, not like Lens away.
You could be right but I think Arsenal are in a different gear right now.
Weirdly enough I was fantasizing all last week about us beating West Ham 6-0 – and it happened!
I also expected us to batter Liverpool both teams, we just didn’t finish in the 1st game.
I’ll still call City favourites but I’m getting some seriously good vibes happening!
“times”
I would call City something else – like a cheating bunch of wankers.
I hope this inquest absolutely destroys them…
Ah yes ‘tis the hope of every fair-minded human on this blu orb.
In the meantime, let’s out-football them proper!
I forget who we played right before Lens away but we were very good. I thought we’d steamroll Lens since it seemed we’d hit form. I was very wrong but I don’t think we’re in for a dip like that against Burnley. Like Gunner1971 I think we’re at a different gear now. Plus the injured players to come back we are getting even scarier.
I love the fact that he’s keeping the players firmly on their feet by hammering upon the expected difficulty of the tie so they don’t slip into that dangerous pit of complacency which has dealt terribly with us in the past.
Here’s hoping we have a reason to smile tomorrow & make it 5 wins in a row.
Onwards and Upwards💪
This must irk the celebration police so much. How can he be that humble. What’s there to whine about and generate engagements? 😁
City n Liverpool won’t be complacent and our team knows that. This is the game we must show our strong mentality and win comfortably with good controlled display on the pitch. COYG
Burnley are awful and are going down. We should beat them comfortably tomorrow.
It’s coming: we’re approaching that crucial last-ten-league-games period.
For the last two seasons we’ve bottled it at this point. I really, really don’t want to see us bottle it again.
If we don’t push City all the way this time then it might be time for a new manager.
I’m watching.
Don’t worry mate, this is that part of the season when Eddie hits form. Expect more hatricks from him now.
I say let’s get the new manager in now – a proper finisher – hold on is Mou free?