Mikel Arteta has made it clear to his Arsenal players that they must be ready to fight for the Premier League title after opening the door to Manchester City.
Arsenal’s defeat against Bournemouth could be crucial in the title race
Mikel Arteta told Arsenal’s stars to “get up and go and fight or you’re out” after the defeat to Bournemouth that put the Premier League title race on the line.
The Gunners went into Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off having lost two of their last three games, missing out on the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. These defeats increased the pressure even more, but Arsenal failed to show the desired response.
In the match against the Cherries, they were behind in the early stages, but Cherries took the lead for the second time thanks to the performance of Alex Scott. His 74th-minute strike proved to be the winning goal as fans left the Emirates before the final whistle.
Arteta is still aiming for the title in north London after a number of near misses. They hold a huge advantage, but despite a nine-point difference, Manchester City could leapfrog them within the next two weeks if the result goes against them.
The Spaniard continues to come under criticism for failing to get over the line, telling Arsenal players to find their abs for the difficult final stretch or they will fall on their faces.
read more: Arsenal vs Bournemouth player rating, horror display with FIVE star score 2/10read more: How Man City can be top of the table in 11 days after Arsenal’s debacle
He told TNT Sports: “It’s going to hurt. They’ve got to take it on the chin. Get up and go and fight or you’re out. It’s a big week. There’s a lot at stake. We’re still in a good position in both competitions.”
Arsenal face City next weekend in a game that could decide the title. Before that, they must think about the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals against Sporting Lisbon. Pep Guardiola’s side have no such distractions and are starting to shift gears at the right time to overhaul Arsenal in the hunt for a new title.
Bournemouth beat the Emirates for the second season in a row to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games, but Arteta admitted the team is not themselves.
Mikel Arteta’s side have lost three of their last four games.
“It’s disappointing. It’s a big punch in the face. It’s about how we react. There’s a reason they’re an unbeaten team in 11 games. They did a lot of things right.”
“We were far from efficient. It was their first chance to get into the box. It was a deflection, a poor defense and that was the goal. That’s what we have to bounce back from. We expected a different game in the second half. We did a lot of strange things today. We were very consistent. Things can happen. This is football.”
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