SUCKER PUNCH
Arteta hits back at ‘energy suckers’ after the Everton setback and says: I want the team to know I love them more than ever before
MIKEL ARTETA will not allow “energy-suckers” to derail Arsenal’s title charge after his switch from tough love to restraint.
The last time the Gunners Arsenal lost back-to-back games – damaging defeats at Tottenham and Newcastle last May which cost them a Champions League place – Arteta told his players to “shut your mouth and eat it” in a dressing room rant captured on camera in Amazon Prime’s All Or Nothing documentary.
But his reaction to last weekend’s shock 1-0 defeat at lowly Everton, after a narrow FA Cup exit at Manchester City, was more forgiving.
Arteta said: “I want the team to know how much I love them and I love them much more now than three hours ago, a week ago, a month ago, three months ago.”
Ahead of today’s booby trap against Brentford – unbeaten in nine Premier League games – the Gunners head coach would not be drawn on the charges alleging financial impropriety against title rivals City.
Instead, he focused on his players’ determination to restore winning ways, and said: “It’s always an opportunity to bounce back and to show how much we want what we’re fighting for.
“It’s not about being in a comfort zone before, but losing brings a lot of opportunities to look at other things and see the reaction of the team – and the reaction of the team has been superb this week.
“I think a lot of teams have already been looking at the best way to beat us. They use data, images, experiences they had, they play to their strengths.
“Everton did what they did really well, better than us on the day, and that’s why they won the game.
“There were certain details and aspects that we didn’t do as well in the games we won.
“There is also another level of aggression you can go into. It is what they need.”
Asked what it was like to be in the thick of his first title race as a manager, Arteta replied: “It takes a lot of energy – I am an energy giver, I don’t like energysuckers, I just like to give and I like people who give energy in many different ways.
“Sometimes it’s with body language, tone of voice, hugging people and looking for solutions, not excuses. So energy, a lot of energy.”
Arteta does not expect the Bees to present the biggest mental test of the season, and added: “We prepare in the best possible way mentally every game, but it doesn’t mean it is the toughest – the easiest, probably, because the players don’t need much (motivating).
“They are really looking forward to the game, and we are going to have our people full of energy, enthusiasm and passion.”
The storm clouds over City are of no consequence to Arteta, who is keen to win the title on merit without his rivals distanced by sanctions.
He said: “We have enough to look after our own garden. Let’s focus on what we have to do and win enough football matches for that to happen. We have to earn the right to win it, that’s for sure.” LINE-UPS: PULLOUT PAGE 12