Saturday’s defeat at Bournemouth saw our unbeaten run come to an end as we suffered our first defeat in six months.
Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk represents a chance to respond straight away, and Mikel Arteta hopes it can be the beginning of another impressive string of results.
Speaking at Sobha Realty Training Centre in his pre-match press conference on Monday, our manager said: “The desire is there, we want to desperately play these kinds of matches, and we know the atmosphere is going to be terrific tomorrow night so let’s produce that and earn the right to win the game.
“The context is that we have lost one game in six months. Ok, now we have to win again with the context that we have lost for the first time in six months, so let’s show it.
“Defeat is part of the game, part of the sport. It happened in very specific conditions as well. Let’s move on, take that pain that we still have in the tummy and use it for tomorrow night.”
One player who has impressed in multiple Premier League cameos is academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri, and the youngster will be hoping to impress Mikel enough to earn more starts going forward.
“I think it’s identifying moments and understanding where he is, where the team is and where is the optimal moment to throw a player into that context,” Mikel explained.
“He’s already done a lot in a very short period of time, so let’s take it step by step and make sure those steps are consistent and can allow him to grow in the manner and form that we want from him in the team.”
