Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, remains resolute in his pursuit of the Premier League title, insisting he will not give up until Liverpool are mathematically out of reach.
The Gunners endured a disastrous weekend, falling 11 points behind the league leaders after a shock home defeat to West Ham.
Meanwhile, Liverpool’s emphatic victory over Manchester City at the Etihad widened the gap further, though Arsenal still have a game in hand.
With only 12 matches left to turn the tide, Arteta faces an uphill battle, made even tougher by a growing injury list, particularly in attack. However, the 42-year-old remains defiant.
“It was a very disappointing weekend, obviously,” Arteta admitted during Tuesday’s press conference. “It was a very hard one to take.
“There are so many games to play and we have to get back to it. We have the levels and the hunger to get back to it again and that’s what we’re going to do.
“When you are there, you want more and more. I’m not going to stop – over my dead body. We will not stop thinking that way and giving it everything we can to be better than our opponents, regardless of what happens.”
Pressed on whether he still believes in Arsenal’s title chances, Arteta reiterated his stance with a firm response, “Over my dead body!”
The North London side must quickly regroup and rediscover their form to avoid slipping further out of contention.
They face a testing run of fixtures, starting with an away trip to an in-form Nottingham Forest on Wednesday. A visit to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United follows, before a home clash against Chelsea.
Adding to their packed schedule, Arsenal will also take on PSV Eindhoven in a two-legged Champions League knockout tie.
On the injury front, Arteta provided a slight boost by confirming that young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri should be available for the Forest clash after struggling with cramps in the West Ham defeat.
However, key wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli remain sidelined.
The Arsenal boss also praised Nottingham Forest’s manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, for his impressive work. “It is unbelievable what he has done,” Arteta remarked.
“Not only there, because what he did at Wolves was incredible, to be fair. Huge pride seeing what they have done since coming back to the Premier League. It’s a remarkable story so well done to them.”
As the season nears its climax, Arsenal must now dig deep and show resilience if they are to stay in the title race.
