Mikel Arteta has encouraged his Arsenal players to embrace the growing buzz around their title challenge as they head to the South Coast to face Bournemouth on Saturday.
The Gunners have finished second in three consecutive seasons in the English Premier League and also reached the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League last season.
However, the club could finally end their major trophy drought in the current campaign as they sit top of the EPL with four points ahead of second-placed Manchester City and are also top of the UCL league phase.
Arsenal prepare to face Bournemouth later today as they gear up for a tough second half of the season and the Spaniard has challenged the players to live up to the task.
“Noise is good because it means you are in the place you want to be”, Arteta revealed.
“Being in contention to win big trophies is going to generate debate and emotion. You can learn from all that [noise]. The demands we have right now are something very natural.”
Arteta also expressed confidence in summer signing Victor Gyokeres, who joined the club for £63.5 million from Sporting Lisbon in the summer.
The striker has struggled for form and has only scored five times in 17 appearances in the league this season.
“He is going to continue to have a lot of noise around him for the next five years”, the Spaniard added.
“Since day one, you sign as a No 9 for Arsenal with the background he has and the expectation at Arsenal, that is not going away. That is the life of being an Arsenal No 9.
“There is an expectation when you pull the shirt on. He knew that and it was part of the plan. I see him training every day and in the meeting, how much he wants to do well”, Arteta continued.
“The way he is working every single match, it will click. One thing is missing at the moment, scoring more goals, but he is doing other things right.”
The Gunners head to the Vitality Stadium where they lost last season, hoping for an upturn in fortune this time around to increase their lead at the top of the standings.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
