ARTETA DEMANDS A SPRINT TO THE LINE
MIKEL ARTETA has warned his Arsenal players against taking it easy during the Premier League run-in. Having secured a place in the Europa League semis, the
North Londoners could be tempted to concentrate solely on that trophy – instead of improving their dismal domestic campaign.
But Arteta will not tolerate any slacking from his troops, currently languishing ninth in the table and nine points adrift of the top five.
In fact, the Spaniard expects them to keep performing to the heights produced during Thursday’s 4-0 second-leg rout at Slavia Prague – starting at the Emirates today when Scott Parker’s struggling Fulham are the visitors.
Arteta said: “The league is really important.there are a lot of points to play for and there’ve been a lot of changes in the table in recent weeks.
“We want to be involved right up until the last match – and the way to do it is put a run together.”
Winning sequences of any length have been in short supply this term.
Arsenal’s best to date is three in a row, which they have managed on three separate occasions.as they look to do that once more by beating
Fulham,arteta said:
“After the positive performance and result against Sheffield
United, to do it again the way we did in
Prague is reassuring.
“It breeds confidence.
There’s a level that we can reach and when we play at that level we are really difficult to play against.
“We cannot accept
less than that. That’s the bar we’ve set ourselves.”
While the Gunners have lacked any consistency this season, Arteta argues some of their better displays have come against big sides.
All of which provides further evidence, according to the ex-manchester City No.2, they can mix it with the best.
Arteta, who faces his predecessor Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the last four of the Europa League, said: “If you look at the performances and results against some of the more difficult opponents, you’d say: ‘How is that possible?’
“But the form in the Europa League has been very positive. We earned our place in the semis and we’re optimistic about getting to that final.”