Mikel Arteta’s telling admission after holding crunch meeting with Arsenal players

Mikel Arteta is hoping to Arsenal bounce back from their disappointing defeat by Manchester United

Mikel Arteta is delighted at the “excellent” response his side have shown after holding a meeting to move on from their disappointing defeat by Manchester United.

The gap at the top of the Premier League was closed to just four points after both Manchester City and Aston Villa won their respective matches, but the vibe around the Gunners was outlined as resilient after this latest setback.

Arteta was explicit that this was not an unusual occurrence to have a debrief after such a result, but it was certainly telling that the Spaniard was so open in sharing so much.

“The reaction has been excellent,” Arteta said. “We took a moment to bring the temperature down, to pause and to reflect and ask two questions. One is, how do we feel, and how do I feel myself?

“And then, how are we going to live the next four months? And it was so encouraging and beautiful because what came out of that is very simple.

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“We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months, we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win it.

“And this is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put the energy. And I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this.”

Arteta clarified further that this was not a crisis meeting of sorts and just another example of the regular group talks he has with the squad.

“We have many [meetings],” he said. “In Milan, we had a big one as well. So, no, it is what is required. Sometimes you have to check. How do you feel? And how do I feel? I like to express that, and that’s very good. And especially how, if not you just get in the daily routines, and it’s not efficient.

“It’s what do I want? How do I want to live the next four months in the beautiful countries that we have ahead of us? And it’s a very important question.”

Having finished second for three seasons on the bounce, it was put to Arteta whether his team can come back despite the scar tissue that exists within the players.

“Yes, because when I ask them how they’re feeling, I think if I have to, probably they go like this,” Arteta explained while pulling up his sleeves. “Vamos! Let’s go. That’s the mindset, and this is what this moment requires, is that energy, that conviction, because of what we are doing.

“That’s it, and place it in a natural way, because if we want to achieve that, there are going to be bumps in the road; if not, we are kidding ourselves. That’s it.”

Arsenal will have the opportunity to get back to winning ways tonight when they face Kairat Almaty in the UEFA Champions League, where they can win their eighth straight fixture in the competition this season.