Arteta Shares Details of Arsenal Team Meeting After Man Utd Defeat

Mikel Arteta has revealed a “beautiful” team meeting convinced him the Arsenal players are ready to go the distance in the title race as he urged the club’s supporters to dream big.

Arsenal suffered their first home defeat of the season on Sunday against Manchester United, leaving their advantage at the top of the Premier League table at just four points.

The Gunners failed to deal with Manchester United’s relentless performance and many believe they would succumb to pressure in the coming days. Club legend Patrick Vieira was among those who questioned Arsenal’s mental strength after the match.

However, after a meeting with his players on Monday, Arteta was keen to put some perspective on the club’s situation.

Mikel Arteta reacts at the end of  Arsenal defeat to Manchester United. (Photo by Ben STANSALL / AFP via Getty Images).

“The reaction has been excellent,” Arteta insisted. “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.

“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 also called on the Arsenal fans to relish the position the team are in and the chance to do things “that we cannot even imagine”.

“That’s why I encouraged them to jump in this boat because it’s going to be fun,” Arteta said.

“Because the excitement, that conviction, that energy, that is the way you have to live when you want to achieve a dream. When you want to achieve something that you play for 10 months.

“Because out of that a lot of incredible things are going to emerge. Some of the things that we cannot even imagine. For me that’s the only way to live it because we’re going to give absolutely everything.”

Arsenal are currently four points clear at the top in the league and also lead the way in the Champions League after seven straight wins. The Gunners are also one win away from the Carabao Cup final and into the fourth round of the FA Cup.