Mikel Arteta has gone full Kevin Keegan by declaring himself to be “on fire” after his side surrendered their advantage in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal’s collapse continued on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth and familiar accusations of a ‘bottle job’ have been circling both the club and manager.
The defeat leaves the title in both Arsenal and Manchester City’s hands with the two playing each other this coming Sunday, but first the north London side must avoid defeat against Sporting if they hope to reach the Champions League semi-final.
Ahead of the European tie, Arteta spoke in front of the press and hinted at the pressure getting to him with a remarkable rant about being “on fire” and having “purpose, fire, direction and conviction”.
“No fear, pure fire. That’s it,” he said of any message he had for the players and fans.
“Pure fire, that’s what I want to see from the players, the people, myself. The opportunity is unbelievable.
“Let’s confront it, let’s go for it and put everything into it.
“I’m on fire. That’s it. Nothing else. I’m dreaming so much.
“I’ve done so much to be in this position, because I know how this club it was.
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“I have done so much that this is beauty. I just see beauty opportunity, and I want to get it done for all these people that they’ve been in this journey with us and because they deserve because you’ve been unbelievable.
“That’s what has driven me every single day. Have zero fear. Fear I had when ‘oh, if we don’t get this done, this club. I don’t know what going…’ That was fear.
“Now there’s no fear. It’s just purpose, fire, direction and conviction that we’re going to do it.”
Asked if he was seeing that fire in his players, Arteta responded: “Big time.”
Despite his words, the omens do not look good for an Arsenal side that appears to be wilting under the pressure.
The Gunners have won just once in the last month, albeit with an international break during that time, and have lost the League Cup final, been knocked out of the FA Cup and lost in the Premier League. The 1-0 win away at Sporting, which came via a stoppage-time goal from Kai Havertz, is Arsenal’s only win since defeating Everton midway through March.
That late-season slump is a familiar pattern in Arteta’s managerial career with Arsenal having a 44% win rate during April with the Spaniard in charge.
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