Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal players they should “be part of a different club” if they cannot cope with the pressure and scrutiny that comes with competing for the Premier League title.
The Gunners are two points clear at the top as they attempt to end a 22-year wait for a league crown, having last lifted the trophy under Arsène Wenger during the famous 2003–04 “Invincibles” campaign.
But momentum has shifted in recent weeks. Arsenal have won just two of their past seven league games, allowing Manchester City F.C. to cut the gap from five points to two heading into Sunday’s North London derby away at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Criticism intensified on Wednesday when Arsenal squandered a 2-0 lead against Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., conceding a dramatic 94th-minute equaliser.
The result prompted accusations that the Gunners are “bottlers”, a label Arteta dismissed outright.
As reported by BBC Sport on Saturday, Arteta said, “That word is not part of my vocabulary,” he said.
