Arsenal received a smattering of boos at the final whistle of the 3-2 defeat and Arteta has told the club’s fans to “jump in the boat” with his players and take enjoyment from their pursuit of four trophies.
Arsenal have now gone three Premier League matches without a victory, prompting further anxiety in the stands of the Emirates Stadium, but they remain four points clear at the top of the table. Arteta’s side are also in brilliant form in the Champions League, having won all seven of their matches in the competition so far. They are one game away from a League Cup final and remain in the FA Cup, too.
“The reaction [to the United defeat] has been excellent,” said the Arsenal manager. “We took a moment to bring the temperature down, to pause, to reflect and ask two questions. One is how do we feel, and how do I feel myself, and then how do we want to live the next four months?
“It was so encouraging and beautiful, because what came out of there [the meeting] is very simple. We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months, we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win it.
“This is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put the energy. I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live the next four months. We deserve to live like this.
“I told the players how good they are and how grateful we are to share every single day with them, and to realise where we are – and make sure we enjoy it, with a lot of conviction that it is going to happen, because it is our moment and we really want it.”
Mikel Arteta gestures during their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United
Mikel Arteta gestures during their 3-2 defeat to Manchester United
One of Arteta’s main areas of focus since his appointment in 2019 has been to improve the home atmosphere, and he was largely successful in doing so. In recent months, however, an air of nervousness has pervaded many sections of the fanbase.
Asked about the anxiousness in the crowd on Sunday, Arteta said: “That’s why I encourage them to jump in this boat, because it’s going to be fun. The excitement, that conviction, that energy, that will, is the way you have to live when you want to achieve a dream, when you want to achieve something that you play for for 10 months.
“Because out of that, a lot of incredible things are going to emerge. Some things that we cannot even imagine and, for me, that’s the only way to live it.”
Arsenal will guarantee a first-place finish in the Champions League phase with a point against Kazakhstan side FC Kairat tonight. Kairat are currently bottom of the table.
Arsenal v Kairat, Live TNT Sport 7, 8.0