By Nurudeen Obalola
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has agreed that his side must go for victory when they face Chelsea in the weekend’s headline English Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The two London clubs are tied on points, with Chelsea in fourth place ahead on goal difference, and Arteta is keen to reduce the seven-point gap between his side and leaders Liverpool.
When asked during his pre-match press conference on Friday if Sunday’s clash is a must-win, Arteta replied: “Especially because we have missed certain points in the last few weeks.
“The margins are becoming smaller and smaller, that doesn’t mean the margin doesn’t exist anymore but more perfection is going to be demanded in the future. For sure, we want to win, we have to prepare and we have to prepare to win it, and that’s the only thing that is in our heads.”
Chelsea have had a solid start to the campaign under Enzo Maresca after finishing strong last season, and Arteta commended the efforts of the Italian coach and his predecessor Mauricio Pochettino.
“I’m really impressed about what Maresca’s done but what they’ve done over a year because with Mauricio [Pocchetino] the last six months were extraordinary,” the Spaniard said.
“You could see the squad, the quality they have, the amount of players they have and then Enzo has given his touch and you can see clearly what he wants to do. I think he’s been really brave from day one to consistently follow what he wanted to do.
“I know how he thinks, I know a lot of people that know him well and are very happy that he is making a lot of progress there.”
England forward Cole Palmer has been outstanding for Chelsea this season with seven goals and five assists in 10 Premier League appearances.
Arteta, understandably, is wary of the 22-year-old.
When asked how he intended to handle the threat of Palmer, Arteta said: “That’s a question that probably all the managers in the league have had in the last year or so and he’s still managed to impact games in the right way.
“Obviously we will have a plan, not only for Cole, but to minimise all the quality and threats that they have and try to exploit their weaknesses, like any other team.
Arsenal failed to win any of their last three away fixtures in the Premier League, drawing at Manchester City and losing to Bournemouth and Newcastle United.
The Gunners also lost at Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, but Arterta insisted that there were mitigating circumstances in the results.
“There are other things. The level of opposition that we have played because nobody has played the away games that we’ve played this season, and certainly not in the condition of playing half of those games with 10 men – nobody in the league,” Arteta said, when asked about why his side have struggled in away games.
The former Arsenal and Everton midfielder would not declare if Declan Rice was fit or not after the England midfielder missed the Inter defeat, nor would he confirm if Martin Odegaard would start after his stoppage time cameo in Milan.
