Arsenal still have a chance to win the Premier League and Champions League in the final week of the season, but their hopes could be dented by games against Sporting Lisbon and Man City in the coming days.
Mikel Arteta will lead Arsenal into a crucial week (Image: Getty Images)
Manager Mikel Arteta has told Arsenal to play with “pure passion” ahead of the most important week of his reign.
The Gunners face Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday night as they aim to reach back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history. Arteta will lead his players to face rivals Manchester City at the Etihad on Sunday in what could be the Premier League title decider.
Arteta said his message to fans and players was: “Don’t be afraid, just be pure fire. That’s it.” Arteta said his message to fans and players was: “Don’t be afraid, just be pure fire.”
“Pure fire, that’s what I want to see in players, people and myself. The opportunity is incredible. Let’s rise to it, let’s go for it and let’s give it our all.”
Asked if he was nervous, Arteta added: “I’m on fire. I’m on fire. That’s it. There’s nothing else. I’m very driven. I’ve done a lot to be in this position. I know how this club has been. This is a beauty.”
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“I see beauty and opportunity, and I want to accomplish that for everyone on this journey with us. That’s what drives me every day. I have zero fear.”
Arsenal may have to do so without key midfielder Declan Rice, who missed training and joined a growing list of injured players including Bukayo Saka, Julian Timber and Martin Odegaard, but Arteta admits it is “far from ideal”.
Gunners winger Saka has an Achilles tendon problem and it is unclear when he will return, but Arteta admitted the England star may have to overcome the pain barrier to win the title, even if he misses out on the Champions League.
“It’s far from ideal. When you come to this stage you want your best players to have the best moments and everyone to be available, but that’s not the case,” Arteta said.
Arsenal’s hopes of winning four trophies are gone (Image: Getty Images)
“Bukayo is a frustrating person, but he will do everything he can to change that. He won’t just lie down and wait. He’s always looking for solutions and will do everything he can to get in his position as soon as possible.”
Arteta insisted his players proved they had the mentality to win trophies and dismissed a viral video on social media showing City fans mocking Arsenal with water bottles, saying they might explode again.
Arteta added: “Do you mean there’s only one fan? Yes. So we have to be one fan who can say something. It’s unbelievable to have over 60,000 people every time we come to the Emirates. That doesn’t move me.”
“We have proven in the past that we have the mindset to do all the things we don’t have to do. Now we have to show on the pitch that we have the mindset to do it. That’s who we are. We have to prove it to everyone and to ourselves.”
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