Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has challenged his team to take control of their Premier League title bid as they prepare for Sunday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Gunners, who once held a commanding lead, now see second-placed Manchester City close within five points, with a game in hand over Arsenal. City will host Arsenal in a crucial clash in April, and if Pep Guardiola’s side wins all remaining matches, they will secure the title regardless of Arsenal’s results.
Arteta, who has seen his team squander leads in title races before, stressed that his players must embrace the challenge to make history. “Life moves on, there’s nothing we can do. It is about what happens next,” he told reporters on Friday. “That was a chapter. In chapter 27, we draw against Wolves. In the next one it is about how we write our own destiny going forward.”
Arsenal have drawn their last two matches, 1-1 with Brentford and 2-2 at bottom of the table Wolves, with the latter featuring a stoppage time equaliser caused by a mix-up between keeper David Raya and defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Despite the recent stumbles, Arteta remains confident. “The immediate reaction is tough. It was a shock to the system. But we have clear instructions. We have to live in the present. The present is beautiful, we are exactly where we want to be in every competition.”
Tottenham, struggling under interim boss Igor Tudor after Thomas Frank’s sacking, have no wins in their last eight league games. Arsenal defeated Spurs 4-1 in November, but Arteta warned that facing a team with a new manager always presents challenges.
“The match we have next is the one we cannot wait to play. We have to show up on Sunday,” he added.
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