Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has sent a clear message to his squad: if players cannot cope with the “noise” surrounding the title race, they should consider joining another club.
The Gunners currently lead the Premier League by two points, vying for their first league championship since Arsene Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ lifted the trophy in 2003–04. However, recent form has raised concerns, with Arsenal securing only two wins in their last seven league matches. Meanwhile, Manchester City has closed the gap at the top from five points to just two, adding extra pressure ahead of Arsenal’s trip to face 16th-placed Tottenham on Sunday.
Arsenal faced criticism after surrendering a 2-0 lead against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday, conceding a 94th-minute equaliser. Critics quickly labelled the team as “bottlers,” a term Arteta dismisses as irrelevant to his squad.
When asked how players should handle external pressures and scrutiny, Arteta said:
“You ask them the question: do you want to be part of the noise? Or not? If not, go and do something else, be part of a different club. Everybody has been asking for 10 or 15 years for us to compete for the title. Now we’re here. The noise is part of it, the pressure is part of it, and we have to handle it the right way to achieve our goals.”
Arsenal have finished second in the last three seasons, twice behind Manchester City and last season behind Liverpool. With the title race intensifying, Arteta’s words underline the mental resilience he expects from his players as the Gunners aim to finally end their 22-year league title drought.
