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Mikel Arteta has dismissed suggestions of discord within the Arsenal dressing room but accepts that the players are “hurt” after the loss to Everton on Saturday left them 15th in the Premier League.
The Gunners have now won just one of their last 10 league games and sit just four points above the relegation zone.
But Arteta insists that everyone in the dressing room “wants more”, although he admits that not everyone in the club can be united.
“The atmosphere at the club is as good as it can be when we are all suffering,” he said. “The results in the Premier League are hurting and everyone is worried and everyone is suffering right now. We want much more and we are working to achieve much more.”
“In the locker room, when you are losing football matches, it is difficult. They also suffer because they care, they want more, the confidence level starts to go away. But the unity is there.
“Is there a 100% unity in the whole club? It is impossible in any club, even when you win, because players who do not participate are always more difficult.
Although they topped their Europa League group and will face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday, live on Sky Sports, Arsenal’s eerie league form means Arteta is now the favorite of the homes of you’re betting to be the next senior coach to get fired.
But the Spaniard, in his first managerial role after working as part of Pep Guardiola’s squad at City, says he doesn’t feel any pressure from those within the club.
He said: “Within the club, all I feel is support, encouragement and complete confidence that we are going to get through this together.
“Externally, I never read what is happening. I know more or less what is happening, but I never read in the beautiful moments and I do not read in the difficult moments. I just try to focus on work and what I have to do.
“But obviously a club of this size deserves the best, and when it is not happening, everyone is going to question what is happening. I am the most responsible in terms of results, so I have to accept it.”
How to beat Arsenal is obvious
“We need to generate more to win football games,” Arteta said after the 2-1 loss to Everton. That’s clear, but how do Arsenal plan to do that? Their loss at Goodison Park on Saturday was more of the same from a team languishing towards the bottom of the table.
Ten games have yielded a victory and Arteta cannot argue that his team has been unlucky, not now. This is not a false position; this is a poor Premier League team. The problems are obvious and, perhaps even more worrying, they are familiar. Arsenal don’t create opportunities from open play, let alone score them, and that slow focus game is starting to look like it’s by design.
“Everton just let them have the ball,” Jamie Carragher said in a Sky Sports co-comment. “The same as in Tottenham: let Arsenal have the ball and what can they do? Don’t believe anything.
“When a team goes down and is winning, then it’s up to you to create chances, not keep the ball. Possession doesn’t mean anything then, it’s about what you create. The competition isn’t who gets the ball anymore. Everton are winning , have been reduced What can you create?
“I can’t think of anything in this second half where Arsenal created an opportunity that they should have scored or the goalkeeper made a great save. That’s the name of the game.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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