Mikel Arteta Fires Back at Champions-Elect Talk, Insists Focus Should Remain on Premier League Title.
The Arsenal boss has used Pep Guardiola's recent praise for his team to fuel speculation about the Gunners' dominance, but Arteta is not interested in the talk of a title win just yet. The Spaniard says that while nobody is more driven than him to secure the Premier League crown, he doesn't want to let the pressure distract his players from the task at hand.
"We know it's a big challenge ahead of us on Sunday against Manchester United," Arteta said. "But we can't get distracted by what people are saying about us being champions-elect. We have to stay focused and present in the moment, doing everything we need to do today, then tomorrow."
Arteta acknowledges that his team is well-positioned to win the title, but he doesn't want to overcomplicate matters by getting caught up in the hype. Instead, he's urging his players to maintain their current level of performance and continue improving.
"We're not going to start preparing for the final stages of the season just yet," Arteta explained. "We need to keep our feet on the ground and stay focused on the process. The rest is just noise that can take us away from what's important."
The Gunners' impressive defensive record has been a key factor in their success, but Arteta knows that City won't be an easy opponent. Despite Pep Guardiola's acknowledgement of Arsenal's quality, he believes his team still have the edge.
"You don't need to go back to Manchester City's history over the past decade to know what they're capable of," Arteta said. "We've got our own standards to meet and we'll be ready for them on Sunday."
For Arteta, there are also positive signs in terms of his team's physical availability. Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié returned to training on Friday after injuries, while Kai Havertz's long-term layoff is being carefully managed.
The real test for Arsenal will come when they face Manchester United this weekend, a matchup that Arteta is well-equipped to handle given his history against Michael Carrick. The Gunners have had some mixed results in recent years under the veteran midfielder, but Arteta is looking to change that on Sunday.
"He's one of my favourite No 6s," Arteta said of Carrick. "Very intelligent and he never seems to break a sweat – he's so in control of the game. But we've got our own standards to meet, and I'm confident that we'll be able to get the better of him on Sunday."
The Arsenal boss has used Pep Guardiola's recent praise for his team to fuel speculation about the Gunners' dominance, but Arteta is not interested in the talk of a title win just yet. The Spaniard says that while nobody is more driven than him to secure the Premier League crown, he doesn't want to let the pressure distract his players from the task at hand.
"We know it's a big challenge ahead of us on Sunday against Manchester United," Arteta said. "But we can't get distracted by what people are saying about us being champions-elect. We have to stay focused and present in the moment, doing everything we need to do today, then tomorrow."
Arteta acknowledges that his team is well-positioned to win the title, but he doesn't want to overcomplicate matters by getting caught up in the hype. Instead, he's urging his players to maintain their current level of performance and continue improving.
"We're not going to start preparing for the final stages of the season just yet," Arteta explained. "We need to keep our feet on the ground and stay focused on the process. The rest is just noise that can take us away from what's important."
The Gunners' impressive defensive record has been a key factor in their success, but Arteta knows that City won't be an easy opponent. Despite Pep Guardiola's acknowledgement of Arsenal's quality, he believes his team still have the edge.
"You don't need to go back to Manchester City's history over the past decade to know what they're capable of," Arteta said. "We've got our own standards to meet and we'll be ready for them on Sunday."
For Arteta, there are also positive signs in terms of his team's physical availability. Riccardo Calafiori and Piero Hincapié returned to training on Friday after injuries, while Kai Havertz's long-term layoff is being carefully managed.
The real test for Arsenal will come when they face Manchester United this weekend, a matchup that Arteta is well-equipped to handle given his history against Michael Carrick. The Gunners have had some mixed results in recent years under the veteran midfielder, but Arteta is looking to change that on Sunday.
"He's one of my favourite No 6s," Arteta said of Carrick. "Very intelligent and he never seems to break a sweat – he's so in control of the game. But we've got our own standards to meet, and I'm confident that we'll be able to get the better of him on Sunday."
anyway gotta respect their defensive record been solid so far gotta see how they match up against man u this weekend
. He's just so focused on getting the Premier League title, like that's all he cares about 
. I mean, I guess it's good for Arsenal to stay grounded, but come on, we're a top-four team, let's dream big 
! And what's with Pep Guardiola saying they're champions-elect? That just fuels the hype 
Mikel Arteta is just trying to keep things real, you know? Nobody wants to jinx themselves by talking about winning the title too early. They're focusing on the present moment and getting the job done one game at a time 
Interesting how he's keeping it low-key despite all the hype around his team!
If Arteta says so, then I trust him, right? He's got his own standards to meet, and he's not gonna let pressure distract the team. But at the same time, Pep Guardiola's praise for them does make it seem like they're on fire... 
maybe they are? 