Mikel Arteta admits to glaring Arsenal "problem" that could derail title push
Arsenal already find themselves seven points off the pace in the race for the Premier League crown and boss Mikel Arteta has sent a message to his side as they attempt to get back on track against Chelsea
by Neil McLeman · The MirrorMike Arteta has admitted his struggling Arsenal side have a “problem” scoring goals - but he insisted they do not need a “re-set” before Sunday’s Premier League showdown with Chelsea.
The Gunners have lost their last two games in the Premier League and Champions League without scoring a goal. And defeat at Stamford Bridge on Sunday could leave Arsenal ten points off leaders Liverpool.
In his pre-match press conference, defiant Arteta claimed: “We don’t need a reset. We need in one particular aspect to go from 95 to 100. I won’t tell you what that is.”
But the Spaniard went on to acknowledge he had to lift his players before a fourth consecutive away game - and said the missing element was finding the net.
“When you don’t win it affects the energy,” said Arteta. “The positive thing is there is nobody outside who wants to win more than me or those players. It is impossible. That desire, today I had a meeting about it and I could sense it straight away and the belief about how good we are as a team. What we did in Milan, having watched it back twice, I haven’t seen a team doing that against them.
“But you need to take that into winning a football match. That’s the only thing that people are going to judge. You can overrun the opponent you can outperform the opponent in every single way. It’s about whether you scored a goal. That’s the problem. The problem has to be resolved by scoring more goals than the opponents. That’s it.”
Only Brentford have had fewer shots on goal away from home in the Premier League this season. Asked if Sunday’s Chelsea is now a must-win for Arsenal’s title chances, Arteta responded: "Because we have missed certain points in the last few weeks so the margins become smaller and smaller.
"It doesn’t mean the margins don’t exist any more but there is more of a demand for perfection in the future. For sure we want to win. We have prepared the game to win it. That’s the only thing in our heads.”
What team should Arsenal name vs Chelsea? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Arteta has lost only one of his last 10 matches against Chelsea and the 5-0 thrashing at the Emirates Stadium in April hastened the end of Mauricio Pochettino. Now another former Pep Guardiola assistant - Enzo Maresca - has led the Blues to fourth place above Arsenal on goal difference.
“Really impressed by what Enzo’s done, but really impressed by what they’ve done over the past year,” Arteta added. “With Mauricio as well in the last six months they were extraordinary. You could see the squad and the quality that they have.
"Then Enzo has given his touch and you can see clearly what he wants to do. I think he has been very brave from day one to consistently follow what he wanted to do. I know what he thinks and I know a lot of people that know him well and are very happy with him that he’s making a lot of progress there.”
To maintain his unbeaten managerial record at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal will have to stop Cole Palmer. “That’s a question that all the managers in the league have had in the last year or so and he’s still managed to impact games in the right way,” added Arteta. “We will have a plan not just for Cole but to try minimise their threats qualities and to try and exploit all their weaknesses. Like any other team.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky Sports deal
Sky Sports launches discounted Premier League package
£46 (was £56)
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.