1 week ago
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Mikel Arteta has revealed an unusual rule he has deployed among the Arsenal squad as the Gunners look to usurp Liverpool’s Premier League crown.
The London club is very much in the driving seat in the title race following a weekend in which Liverpool dropped further points, via a 3-2 loss at Brentford. That was the Reds’ fourth Premier League defeat in a row and, given the deficiencies in the side, it seems increasingly unlikely that Arne Slot’s team will be able to mount a title fight this term.
Most are backing Arsenal to end its 22-year wait to finish top of the pile, but Arteta is not allowing any sense of complacency to set in.
He revealed after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace that he banned the use of mobile phones at half-time, meaning the players couldn’t see what was the score between Aston Villa and Manchester City.
The latter dropped points at Villa Park with Matty Cash grabbing the only goal of the game, meaning that after nine matches, Arsenal is four points clear at the summit.
Asked about City dropping points, Arteta replied: “It shows how hard this league is. The players aren’t allowed their phones, so I hope not [that they didn’t know].”
Presumably, it’s a tactic Arteta will continue to employ throughout the season, particularly with Liverpool games. Even the most optimistic of Arsenal supporters will know Slot’s side could find their groove again over the coming months.
But the significance of Sunday’s win over Palace was not lost on Arteta. “I told the boys that I value more this victory than any other victory this season,” said the ex-Everton midfielder.
“We knew the difficulty of it after playing every three days. It was a big opportunity as well, with the things that happened during the weekend.
“But I knew we were playing against a team who have, in my opinion, been one of the best in terms of organisation and how frustrated they can make you. The moment you lose concentration they will punish you.”
On the title race, Arteta added: “We are where we are. “It’s a credit to us, because we’ve been very, very consistent knowing the difficulty of every match as well.
“It is early and doesn’t mean anything other than, ‘let’s keep doing a lot of things like we’re doing really well.’ But there are things to improve to give us better margins.”
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