Art Attack
Mikel Arteta has told Arsenal’s critics to hit him with their jibes – and lay off his flailing young squad.
The Gunners have lost their last three league games to leave their top-four hopes hanging in the balance.
Should they be defeated at Chelsea tonight, it will be the first time they have chalked up four straight Premier League losses since 1995.
A fading spark from whizkids Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli has seen Arsenal score just two goals from their last 74 shots.
Yet Arteta wants to protect his talented young crop by shouldering the flak himself.
The Spaniard said: “Hit me, give (it to) me, because I don’t want them to be hit because they are not prepared to take that.
“The bill that you have to pay when you have such a young squad is this, that sometimes these things are going to happen (in reference to the poor recent form).
“So, it is so fulfilling and so great to see what they are able to (do) and what they are really doing, which I cannot find a lot of cases very similar to that.
“And on the other hand, when this comes and when the storm comes, you have to be prepared to take it.”
Arteta also fully understands the frustration of fans coming his way after the recent nosedive in form.
His side had looked in the driving seat for Champions League qualification until three losses in April to midtable Crystal Palace, Southampton and Brighton.
The 40-year-old said: “The reality is you lose three football matches, that we shouldn’t, and you are upset. This is an emotional, normal reaction and frustration that has to be shown.
“We have to worry the day that Arsenal loses three matches and there is no reaction. That day I think we have to go home.
“This is something really positive and shows the standards that we have to make.
“But we cannot lose sight about what happened and how it happened, and don’t drive yourself crazy and try to change everything in that moment. Because I think we have learned some lessons in the past about that as well.”