Mikel Arteta Reacts To Claims That Arsenal Have Been Figured Out’ By Other Teams

There are now suggestions that the compact and defensive setups employed by Everton and Brentford have established something of a blueprint for stifling Arsenal, with both sides profiting from a physical approach and runners from midfield.

But Arteta is not worried by suggestions that teams have worked out how to frustrate the Gunners and says his side have been dealing with similar approaches all season long.

Asked if he is worried that teams have ‘figured out’ Arsenal recently, the Spaniard hit back: ‘Well, how many low blocks have we faced this season?

‘Sixteen low blocks we have faced this season. So we have won a lot of those games. We have merited at the end of the game to win most of those games.

READ ALSO:  Mikel Obi Reveals Same ‘Death Knell’ Ritual By Abramovich For Every Sacked Chelsea Manager [VIDEO]

‘But then it’s about the efficiency. When they block everything and the ball doesn’t go in the net, it’s great if you win 2-0, then you have played the low block really, really well.

‘So always it is going to depend on certain things, there are always things that we have to improve and our efficiency in the box has not been as good as it was when we were winning football matches and tomorrow we will have to be really high to beat them.’

Asked if he is confident his side can handle the pressure of the title race, Arteta replied: ‘Well you have to.

READ ALSO: Thierry Henry Sends Message To Arsenal Players, Mikel Arteta after Man City Loss

‘At some stage, if you want to be at the top, you have to do it. Looking at what they did the other day, it gives me a lot of encouragement to think that they are ready.’

On Arsenal’s blip in form, he added: ‘It’s normal. Obviously you want to get maximum points and we didn’t in the last three games.

‘We have to look at ourselves, we have to be more efficient with the amount of play and situations we generated. We haven’t enough points and that’s down to us and we have to improve that because we want to win more games.’

Arsenal next game is against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday lunch time.

For the first time in months the Gunners head into a league match not at the top of the table after coming up short in Wednesday’s title six-pointer with Manchester City.