Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are NOT lacking raw power after Man City defeat and insists Premier League title still in their hands ahead of clash with Chelsea
- Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are not lacking in brutes after Man City’s defeat
- Arsenal lost last week’s top match against Manchester City 4-1
- Their title hopes are not over yet, but they must beat Chelsea in their next game
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are not lacking in brutes after taking time to come to terms with their 4-1 defeat to Manchester City, which saw them bullied by the Premier League’s new leaders.
Aside from their great style of play, City’s physicality overwhelmed Arsenal, who have historically benefited from warrior-like figures such as Patrick Vieira and Martin Keown.
Arteta claimed that size doesn’t matter, citing how City won the 2017-18 Premier League by 100 points with small players like David Silva and Sergio Aguero, and how Barcelona dominated Europe with Xavi, Andres Iniesta and, of course, Lionel Messi.
Arsenal can regain top spot in the Premier League by beating Chelsea on Tuesday night and despite the obituaries written about their title fight, Arteta is adamant that this race is ‘not over’.
“It’s a great question,” he said when asked if they should add some brutes to their team. “Playing with David Silva, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling — 100 points. Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, Pedro — six titles. Incredible players.
Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are not lacking in brutes after taking time to come to terms with their defeat
Arsenal were beaten 4-1 by Manchester City in their top-flight league table on Wednesday
Aside from their great style of play, City’s physicality overwhelmed Arsenal, who have historically benefited from warrior-like figures such as Patrick Vieira (c) and Martin Keown
‘They perform. They love what they do. They provide the right chemistry.’ Arteta raised his arm and continued, ‘If you have them and they are seven feet high? Even better. Are they technically good enough? Are they sharp enough? Can they rotate?
‘The perfect machine, that’s what we all want. Give me 24. We are all looking for the perfect team and hopefully we can find it. It takes time. You don’t do that in one, two or three. That is a seven year process. You can’t copy and paste.’
The seven-year timeline is significant as that is how long Pep Guardiola has been in charge of City. Arteta went on to say their rivals took their game to ‘another level’ last week, with Arsenal losing the Premier League lead for the first time since February 17.
“If a team is able to take the game to another level and you are not able to take it there, you have to recognize that there is still work to be done,” said Arteta.
“Don’t get confused, be very humble and recognize our strengths and weaknesses.”
In a nod to the number of days they’ve spent at the top of the table this season, Arteta continued: ‘The reality is we’ve been with them for 247 days. With five games to go, we still have the best part of the season to play. If I’m still looking at it, this isn’t over yet, you know?
“I would pay a lot of money to be in this position again next season. A lot, believe me. I want to maximize the moment we have and go for it.
“It’s not in our hands now. What is in our hands is to win our games. That’s what we’re going to try to do and the rest is up to City.’
Arsenal can regain first place in the Premier League by beating Chelsea and despite the obituaries written about their title challenge, Arteta is adamant that this race is ‘not over’