Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has vowed to keep fighting for the Premier League title, despite his side slipping 11 points behind leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners, who were aiming to push the Premier League title race to the the wire, suffered a setback last weekend, losing 1-0 to West Ham at the Emirates – but Arteta remains defiant.
When asked if he would concede the title, Arteta retorted, “Over my dead body. If not, I will go home.”
Despite the mammoth task, the Spanish tactician emphasized that mathematically Arsenal are still in the hunt, and their upcoming game in hand and visit to Anfield on May 10 could be pivotal.
Arteta acknowledged that the challenge has become more daunting, but he believes his team can still achieve something special.
“Mathematically it is possible. Three days ago we could close a gap and you are like ‘you are one-and-a-half games away. The difficulty is higher than three days ago but if you are going to win the Premier League you have to do something special. If you are going to win the Premier League with the circumstances we have you will probably have to do something that nobody else has done in the history of the Premier League.”
Despite the emergence of some players from the youth system such as, Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri, the Gunners have been hampered by injuries to key players, including Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
Arteta feels that these setbacks caught up with his team’s performance, but pointed out that Arsenal’s consistency over the past three months has been impressive.
“The previous 15 games we had won 10 and drawn five – exactly the same as Liverpool with exactly the same goal difference,” Arteta noted. “So we have been extremely consistent over the past three months considering everything we have been through.”
Arteta’s side will be looking to bounce back from their defeat when they face Nottingham Forest in their midweek game. With their title hopes still alive, the Gunners will be “gunning for” a win to keep their momentum going.
Arsenal’s last Premier League title triumph came in the 2003/04 season, when they went unbeaten and earned 90 points. That iconic team, led by Arsene Wenger, is famously known as “The Invincibles.” While Arteta’s side has fallen short of winning the title in recent seasons, they will be “pushing the envelope” to achieve glory this time around.
