Twists and turns but Arsenal confident, says Mikel Arteta
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A banner of Mikel Arteta in the Emirates Stadium stands during a match against Leeds United. The Arsenal manager has called upon the home crowd to provide a boost to his players against Southampton on Friday.
Action Images via Reuters
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LONDON – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists that he is “very confident” his team can bounce back quickly from their mini-wobble as they go in search of their first Premier League title since 2003-04.
The Gunners, on 74 points, are bidding to move seven points clear of Manchester City (70) at the top of the standings when they host bottom side Southampton on Friday, although they would have played two games more.
Following an impressive season, Arteta’s men have dropped points in their last two matches, 2-2 against Liverpool West Ham United
The Arsenal boss knows with six games left after Friday, there will be no room for error as his side will also take on City in what could be a title-deciding clash at the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday.
When asked on Thursday how he feels about his team’s chances, the 41-year-old said: “Very confident. Twists and turns are part of everything that you do. It’s not always going to be a linear progression.
“You have to know that and you have to be prepared for that.
“My players today are really looking forward for tomorrow to get the game that we want and play in front of our crowd. Every game is an opportunity. We’ve been given a gift. We have to take it.
“We just have to focus on what we have to do each day. The club hasn’t fought for this position for a very long time.
“It is in our hands and we want to do it.”
The Spaniard also called on the home crowd to give his players a mental boost, urging them to bring the atmosphere up a notch at the Emirates Stadium.
“It has to be electric. I want that crowd playing every single ball with our team and not being different from what we’ve experienced,” Arteta said.
The big team news was that William Saliba will miss the game with a back injury, while Oleksandr Zinchenko, despite being spotted in training on Wednesday, is a doubt because of a groin problem.
Critics have questioned Arsenal’s mental fortitude and lack of title experience as the season draws to a close – City, on the other hand, are chasing their fifth title in six seasons.
But the Gunners should not face any major issues on Friday. They have the second-best home record in the league this campaign, behind City, picking up 38 points from 15 matches.
Southampton, meanwhile, are doing better on their travels than at home, collecting 13 of their 23 points on the road.
The Saints have four wins in the process, including a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in February, drew 0-0 with Manchester United
However, Ruben Selles’ men have not won in the league since the start of March, losing four of their last five.
One positive for the visitors is that Southampton are unbeaten in their previous two games against Arsenal, winning one and drawing the other.
But they lost 3-0 when they last travelled to north London in December 2021.
“I see the game as we always see. I see an opponent that we need to beat,” said their manager Selles, who is still hoping that his men can avoid the drop this season.
“It has been desperate from the very first second. We are running out of time.
“We are going to try and press them and win the balls as high as possible to win the game.”
Loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles is not eligible to play against his parent club, while Juan Larios, Valentino Livramento, Mislav Orsic and Mohammed Salisu remain out through injury. REUTERS
