Following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium, Mikel Arteta has called on his Arsenal players to rise to the occasion and ensure that one setback does not derail their season.
Goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins handed the Gunners their first Premier League loss since New Year’s Eve, paving the way for Manchester City to secure their fifth Premier League title in six seasons if they win their remaining six matches.
Arsenal now confront a pivotal week ahead, starting with a trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, finely balanced at 2-2.
This is followed by a challenging visit to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who have previously claimed victories over both City and Tottenham Hotspur at home this season.
Asked if there was a danger their season could quickly fizzle out, Arteta replied: “If one result is going to do that then we are not strong enough. That’s very simple. We had one of the best performances that we’ve had all season in the first half against a really good team.
“It should have been three, four or more. It didn’t happen. In the second half, the momentum shifted. We could not control and generate what we did in the first half. We conceded two very poor goals and we lost the game.
“Congratulate the opponent and stand up. The moment is now to stand up and be counted. When you win and win and win for four months, it’s very simple to do it. The moment to do it is now.
“We don’t have any other solution. If you want to win championships, if you want to be there in the Champions League, when you have these moments, you have to stand up. If not, that means that you don’t have a quality that is very necessary.
“Now it’s a big test for us.”