\n<\/p>\n
Mikel Arteta has gone full Kevin Keegan by declaring himself to be \u201con fire\u201d after his side surrendered their advantage in the Premier League title race.<\/p>\n
Arsenal\u2019s collapse continued on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth<\/strong> and familiar accusations of a \u2018bottle job\u2019 have been circling both the club and manager.<\/p>\n The defeat leaves the title in both Arsenal and Manchester City\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n 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 \u201con fire\u201d and having \u201cpurpose, fire, direction and conviction\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cNo fear, pure fire. That\u2019s it,\u201d he said of any message he had for the players and fans.<\/p>\n \u201cPure fire, that\u2019s what I want to see from the players, the people, myself. The opportunity is unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s confront it, let\u2019s go for it and put everything into it.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m on fire. That\u2019s it. Nothing else. I\u2019m dreaming so much.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve done so much to be in this position, because I know how this club it was.<\/p>\n MORE ON ARSENAL ON F365<\/strong><\/p>\n * Arsenal \u2018submit\u2019 Julian Alvarez \u2018offer\u2019 with huge name sacrificed when Argentine arrives<\/strong> \u201cI 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\u2019ve been in this journey with us and because they deserve because you\u2019ve been unbelievable.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s what has driven me every single day. Have zero fear. Fear I had when \u2018oh, if we don\u2019t get this done, this club. I don\u2019t know what going\u2026\u2019 That was fear.<\/p>\n \u201cNow there\u2019s no fear. It\u2019s just purpose, fire, direction and conviction that we\u2019re going to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked if he was seeing that fire in his players, Arteta responded: \u201cBig time.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite his words, the omens do not look good for an Arsenal side that appears to be wilting under the pressure.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s only win since defeating Everton midway through March.<\/p>\n That late-season slump is a familiar pattern in Arteta\u2019s managerial career with Arsenal having a 44% win rate during April with the Spaniard in charge.<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Slot somehow emerges from Liverpool humbling as only second most pointless man at Anfield<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n
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