Mikel Arteta has revealed he called his players for a meeting to “bring down the temperature” – and pleaded with Arsenal’s anxious fanbase to “jump on the fun boat” – in the wake of their defeat to Manchester United.
Arsenal’s Premier League title tilt was dealt a blow following a 3-2 loss to United at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Arteta’s squad have taken just two points from the nine available across their last three matches.
However, Arsenal remain four points clear at the top of the table, and on Wednesday, take on Kairat at home in the Champions League bidding to retain their immaculate record in Europe so far. They are also on course to reach the Carabao Cup final and remain in the FA Cup.
And Arteta said: “The reaction since United has been excellent. We took a moment (on Monday) to bring the temperature down, to pause, to reflect and ask two questions.
“One was: ‘How do we feel? And how do I feel myself?’. And then: ‘How do we want to live the next four months?’.
“It was so encouraging and beautiful, because what came out of there (the meeting) is very simple.
“We have earned the right to be in a great position in four competitions, and in the next four months we’re going to live and play with enjoyment, with a lot of courage and with the conviction that we’re going to win it.
“This is going to be the mindset and where we’re going to put our energy, and I’m just hoping that everybody that is related to this club, especially our supporters, jump on that boat because this is the way that we’re going to live the next four months because we deserve to live like this.”
Arteta insisted that the Monday meeting with his players was always planned.
He added: “We do it every three to four weeks. It’s really important to understand the reality versus the perspective, and sometimes you have to look with the microscope and then you have to put the telescope in. You have to be able to see everything with clarity.
Mikel Arteta provides a fitness update on William Saliba and Jurrien Timber 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 27, 2026
“I told (the players) how good they are, and how grateful we are to share every single day with them, and just to make sure that we enjoy with a lot of conviction that it’s going to happen because it’s our moment and we really want it.”
Arsenal have finished runners-up for the past three seasons and have not won the league in 22 years.
And when asked if that could be playing on the supporters’ minds – some of whom booed at the final whistle following the loss to United – Arteta replied: “It’s a possibility but we cannot control that. What happened in the past has to be very powerful to learn for the future.
“That’s why I encouraged them to jump in this boat because it’s going to be fun, because the excitement, that conviction, that energy, that will, is the way you have to live when you want to achieve a dream. We’re going to give absolutely everything.”
Declan Rice and Mikel Merino will be absent for the match against Kairat through suspension, while the injured Jurrien Timber and William Saliba also miss out.
