Mikel Arteta has now revealed what he said to his Arsenal players after they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Arsenal saw their chances of winning the Premier League title this season taken out of their own hands as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
Mikel Arteta will be furious with the performance that his side produced in the second half against the Midlands outfit.
The hosts started the game well. Martin Odegaard mesmerised as he pulled the strings for Arsenal. The Gunners really ought to have been ahead by half-time, as they carved out a number of presentable goalscoring opportunities in the opening period.
Arsenal changes let Mikel Arteta down v Aston Villa
Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard were both brought into the starting XI for this match, and were both guilty of letting gilt-edged chances to score pass them by.
This is not the first time that Trossard has failed to impress when handed the opportunity to start a game for Arsenal in the Premier League. Equally, Jesus needed to show Arteta in this game that he has what it takes to effectively spearhead the Arsenal attack, but the Brazilian was unable to provide the cutting edge that was desperately needed.
Arteta will be disappointed that the changes he made did not pay off, and may well now find that his faith in certain players has been shaken.
However, the Spanish coach will still believe that his side can win the title this season. Of course, the Gunners do now need Manchester City to drop points in order for that to be possible, but with six games left to go anything can still happen.
What Mikel Arteta told Arsenal players after Aston Villa defeat
Paul Merson may believe that the title dream is over for Arsenal, but Arteta will be urging his squad to keep the faith. The manager has made it clear that they cannot give up now.
Speaking to the BBC after the loss to Aston Villa, as heard on 606, Arteta was asked what he said to his players in the dressing room at full-time. The former midfielder said, “that it’s time to stand up and make yourself count. When you are winning, and winning, and winning, it’s easy to come here, easy to be in the picture…now is the moment.”
Now truly is the moment for Arsenal to show what they are made of. They could not cope with the run-in last season, as their title tilt fell apart on the final straight. Now, in the face of renewed strife, this squad must show how far they has come and how much they has grown. There is no doubt that Arsenal have the quality to win their remaining matches, but it remains to be seen if they have the character.