Mikel Arteta shrugs off Arsenal title fears and sets challenge for players

Mikel Arteta has shrugged off claims that Arsenal have already fallen too far behind in the Premier League title race after Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, and has challenged his players to step up their level.

Arteta's side now find themselves on a three-game winless streak in the Premier League after Alexander Isak's 12th-minute header handed all three points to the Magpies and saw Arsenal drop points for the fifth time this season.

While the season is only ten games old, previous campaigns have shown just how narrow the margins are in the Premier League title race. City won by just two points last season and five in 2022/23, leading many to claim that Arsenal have fallen too far behind to mount a genuine challenge this year.

Quizzed on such claims, Arteta said: "I understand that, but after eight, nine, ten games last year we didn’t and we are not going to be talking about it now.

“We are not going to find the right answers or words right now to explain how we feel. We certainly have to put it [right] against Inter. It’s not about hoping to win the title; it’s about being our best version every single week. Today we certainly weren’t our best version."

Arteta did not shy away from highlighting the fine margins which could decide the fate of the title, challenging his side to step up their game soon to match the teams around them.

"It is always the case in this league when you understand the opposition you are facing," Arteta told TNT Sports. "The level is raising and we have to be at our best in every department to give ourselves the chance to win, especially when you play away from home against this kind of opponent."

He added to Premier League Productions: "We deserved to lose today. I thought we started really well and were really dominant. We didn't defend the box well enough. Credit to them. They scored a great goal with a good ball.

"Then the game changes and you start to play a different game. You have to adapt and we didn't do that well enough. I am very frustrated. We got dragged into a game they are looking for constantly and we couldn't play the game that we wanted.

"We had two big chances - Mikel had a big one, Declan had a big one. We lacked answers."

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