Arteta confident Arsenal will bounce back in Premier League title race

Arteta confident Arsenal will bounce back in Premier League title race

Mikel Arteta has expressed full confidence in Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions, insisting the league leaders will recover quickly from their 2–1 defeat at Aston Villa, a result that blew the title race wide open.

Emiliano Buendia struck the winner with the last kick of an exciting contest, ending Arsenal’s 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions. Leandro Trossard had earlier come off the bench to cancel out Matty Cash’s first-half opener at Villa Park.

Read Also: EPL: Arsenal title hopes dented after 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa

The defeat was Arsenal’s first since losing to Liverpool in August and only their second of the season. It moved Aston Villa to within three points of the top, while Manchester City had the opportunity to close the gap to just two points with victory over Sunderland.

Despite Arsenal’s recent history of faltering after strong starts, finishing as runners-up for the past three seasons and failing to lift the Premier League title since 2004, Arteta remains optimistic that his team will withstand the escalating pressure.

“That is the league. You go to Old Trafford, you go to St James’ Park, you go to Chelsea, you come here; we have been to a lot of difficult grounds,” Arteta said.

“The result could have been different, but the reality is it wasn’t. We went 18 games unbeaten, and still we are there, close to each other.

“That is the level of the league; we know that. That is the opportunity ahead of us. Now it is time to bounce back. They have given me all the right reasons to think we will perform at the same level. We move on. We will learn from today, and it will make us a better team.”

Arteta stressed that the title race is far from over.

“It’s five months into the competition, and so far we have coped. We are going to have to prove we can cope again, again, and again for another six months,” he added.

“People who think at this moment we are going to be ten points clear live in a different world.”

Arsenal also suffered another setback, with Arteta revealing that centre-back Cristhian Mosquera faces a longer spell on the sidelines than expected after suffering an ankle injury.

“He is going to be out for weeks, unfortunately,” Arteta confirmed. “It is much more than we were expecting.”

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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