Mikel Arteta has urged both his players and supporters to remain composed as Arsenal F.C. head into the decisive stage of the Premier League season.
The Gunners travel to face Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday in the first of their final nine league matches of the 2025 26 campaign as they continue their title battle with Manchester City F.C..
Arsenal maintained their five point lead over City, who still have a game in hand, after securing a narrow 2 to 1 win against 10 man Chelsea F.C. on Sunday. Despite the victory, there were tense moments late on at the Emirates Stadium as Chelsea pushed forward and even had a late equaliser ruled out for offside.
Arteta was seen signalling for calm from the home supporters as his side worked to see out the match. The Spaniard believes keeping control emotionally both on the pitch and in the stands will be vital if they are to secure the league title.
“We talk about every aspect of the game, and managing a game, managing a result, managing a set time context; you have 10 men against eleven,” said Arteta.
“It’s a very important one. So, we discuss everything.”
And about the fans, he added: “I think when you have the ball, you need to make certain decisions.
“If I’m shouting to a player when they have the ball, ‘pass to him, pass to him’, you’re not making decisions, you’re just being told what to do.
“I mean, the crowd normally shouts in this country ‘shoot, shoot’ from 40 yards as well. We can shoot all the time, then they say, ‘what are you doing, shooting from there?’, so I think we’ll have a split in stadiums.
“It’s natural that they are pushing, but we need to understand that it’s a moment we have to take our time to start attacking the right way.”
