Mikel Arteta claims that his players believe they can get a result at Manchester City this weekend, despite Arsenal’s terrible opening two league fixtures.
The Gunners opened their Premier League campaign with consecutive 2-0 losses to both Chelsea and Brentford, and now face the daunting prospect of taking on English champions Man City.
You can be forgiven for writing off our chances, but our 6-0 win in midweek in the cup will have brought plenty of confidence back into our side ahead of the weekend’s important fixture, and the manager insists his side aware of the job in hand, and ‘believe’ they have what it takes to stop the Citizens.
Arteta said on Man City(via Arsenal.com): “It’s the level that they read the game and the level that you have to be mentally ready for, to run for long periods of the game without touching the ball to sacrifice and being prepared to suffer in the right moments. But as well, having the conviction that we’re going to have moments in the game and when those opportunities arise, we will have to take them and that’s how I want to see the team. They are fully committed, fully prepared, and they believe that we can go to Manchester and get the result that we want.
“From Covid we still have Ben out and Alex Runarsson who has been out, and the rest of the players that are missing, hopefully today because we’re going to be tested, are only injuries. They’re longer term injuries and that’s why we don’t have them back yet.”
I can’t say I’m overly confident, but if our attack is in the right mood then there is no reason why we cannot get at City, who have hardly started their campaign in top form either, losing to both Leicester and Tottenham already this season.
The team will need to show immense focus to achieve anything this weekend however, and fingers crossed they can raise themselves for the job in hand.
Patrick