Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has expressed his optimism over his team's chances of winning the Premier League title after a meeting with his players aimed at boosting their morale following a defeat to Manchester United. The Gunners' squad took just two points from nine available in their last three matches, but remain top of the table and on course for several cup competitions.
The manager revealed that he called an emergency meeting with his players to 'bring down the temperature' after the loss to United at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal suffered a 3-2 defeat. During the gathering, Arteta encouraged his team to "jump on the fun boat" by embracing their current position and focusing on enjoying the process of competing for major honors.
Arteta acknowledged that the recent slump in form had been concerning but believed that his players had earned the right to be in a strong position heading into the next four months. He expressed confidence in the team's ability to make a push for success, stating: "We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions and in the next four months we're going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we're going to win it."
The manager also defended his forwards, who have been struggling to score goals, saying: "We want those numbers to be higher, but as well we are three goals away from the best team. So are not that far, the margins are still very small and maybe they are contributing to other players to score a lot of goals."
Meanwhile, Arteta faced questions over his side's attacking struggles, with not one Arsenal player in the top 20 for Premier League goals this season. The manager maintained that while statistics were important, it was equally crucial to understand how to read them in a way that benefited his team.
In addition to their Premier League bid, Arsenal are also competing in several cup competitions and will face Kairat at home in the Champions League on Wednesday. However, Arteta's starting lineup for this match is likely to be significantly weakened due to suspensions and injuries, with Declan Rice and Mikel Merino set to miss out, while Jurrien Timber and William Saliba also sit out due to injury.
Arteta concluded by urging his supporters to rally behind the team as they strive for success: "This is going to be the mindset and where we're going to put our energy... I'm just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we're going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this."
The manager revealed that he called an emergency meeting with his players to 'bring down the temperature' after the loss to United at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal suffered a 3-2 defeat. During the gathering, Arteta encouraged his team to "jump on the fun boat" by embracing their current position and focusing on enjoying the process of competing for major honors.
Arteta acknowledged that the recent slump in form had been concerning but believed that his players had earned the right to be in a strong position heading into the next four months. He expressed confidence in the team's ability to make a push for success, stating: "We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions and in the next four months we're going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we're going to win it."
The manager also defended his forwards, who have been struggling to score goals, saying: "We want those numbers to be higher, but as well we are three goals away from the best team. So are not that far, the margins are still very small and maybe they are contributing to other players to score a lot of goals."
Meanwhile, Arteta faced questions over his side's attacking struggles, with not one Arsenal player in the top 20 for Premier League goals this season. The manager maintained that while statistics were important, it was equally crucial to understand how to read them in a way that benefited his team.
In addition to their Premier League bid, Arsenal are also competing in several cup competitions and will face Kairat at home in the Champions League on Wednesday. However, Arteta's starting lineup for this match is likely to be significantly weakened due to suspensions and injuries, with Declan Rice and Mikel Merino set to miss out, while Jurrien Timber and William Saliba also sit out due to injury.
Arteta concluded by urging his supporters to rally behind the team as they strive for success: "This is going to be the mindset and where we're going to put our energy... I'm just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we're going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this."
gotta feel for arteta and the squad rn. theyre doing alright considering how rough their last 3 matches were. but u gotta think, if they keep playing like they did against man united, i got no problem seeing em top the league by christmas 
its all about confidence now, and if arteta can get that across to his forwards, em gonna be scoring goals in bunches 
and yeah, stats dont lie, but u cant just look at numbers and say "oh woe is us" when ur team is doing what theyre supposed 2 b do 
they really need to figure out a solution for their attacking struggles ASAP otherwise its gonna be tough to keep up with other top teams 
And what's with Arteta defending his forwards like they're doing him a solid? 
Those stats are laughable, it's like they're sleepwalking on the pitch. But hey, I guess that's just part of being a manager, you gotta coddle your players' egos 
i mean, sure, arteta says they've earned the right to be in a good spot, but that's just not addin up. there's gotta be more to this than meets the eye... 
. And now they're worried about their forwards not scorin' enough goals? Like, come on Arteta, you can't put all the pressure on just two players, it's a team effort, bro! 
i mean mikel arteta really knew how to lift his team's spirits with that 'jump on the fun boat' comment lol anyway i think its great that he's focusing on enjoying the process and being in a strong position for the next 4 months 
cuz let's be real, its not like they're gonna win the league just because they're top right now 
also i feel bad for their forwards who have been struggling to score goals 
but hey at least arteta is defending them and saying they're 'not that far' from other players 
. But seriously though, their recent form is still pretty worrying - 2 points from 9 games? That's not exactly a winning streak 
. Still, at least they're top of the table and looking good for some cup comps, so fingers crossed they can stay on track! 
. Anyway, back to Arsenal... Arteta makes some good points about his team being in a great position and not getting too caught up in stats. But what's up with their midfield right now? They're missing two starters for the Champions League game and it's gonna be tough to compete with Kairat 
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They're not exactly cruising along like they used to be. And what's with the focus on "enjoying the process" of competing? That sounds like something a mid-tier NBA coach would say 
That's just not true. They're struggling to score, and it's affecting the whole team. I'm not saying Arteta is entirely wrong, but maybe he should be looking at some bigger picture stuff instead of just cherry-picking stats. 
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Mikel Arteta's optimism is a breath of fresh air 
! His plan to "jump on the fun boat" and enjoy the process of competing for major honors seems like just what the team needs 
. The fact that his forwards are only 3 goals behind the top team is actually pretty impressive 
. We've got this, Gunners! 
The idea of "jumping on the fun boat" and focusing on enjoying the process is genius! 
And I love how Arteta isn't afraid to defend his forwards – those numbers aren't going to magically fix themselves! 
Can't wait to see Arsenal take on Kairat in the Champions League on Wednesday! 
. they're still top of the table, after all! but at the same time, their attack is struggling to find its rhythm, so i'm curious to see how arteta addresses that issue. will he make any changes to his tactics or player lineup? only time will tell 
. The idea that they just need to "enjoy the process" and focus on competing is a bit simplistic, but hey, if it works for them, who am I to judge 
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! You get to live vicariously through your players' successes and failures. Can't wait to see how the rest of the season unfolds 
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... still, I think Arteta has a point about enjoying the process and living in the moment 
i mean, 2 points from 9 is not great, and those forwards have just been cold 
and what about all the suspensions and injuries? 
its all about mental toughness and believing in yourself, right?