Arteta relishes pressure to deliver success at Arsenal

London (AFP) – Mikel Arteta says it is right that every Arsenal defeat should be viewed as a crisis as he targets a fourth straight Premier League win against high-flying Brighton.

The Gunners beat Tottenham 3-1 on Sunday to lift themselves to 10th in the table, one place above their north London rivals.

It marks a dramatic turnaround in fortunes for Arteta’s men, who were rock bottom of the table after three defeats in their first three games.

The Spaniard said he welcomed the intense pressure to deliver as he prepares for Saturday’s trip to the south coast of England.

“I think that feeling is very necessary at a big club because every defeat is a crisis and it should be a crisis, and you have to deal with that pressure,” Arteta said on Thursday.

“If you want to be the best you have to cope with that and realise that excellence is the only way and the only thing that is expected. Anything else isn’t good enough.”

The former Arsenal midfielder and captain said the club had a “great history because we have that competitive edge”.

“We have that mentality as well and that willingness to look further and have that ambition,” he added. “To achieve that you need to be able to deal with that.”

Arteta must learn to cope without midfielder Granit Xhaka, who faces up to three months on the sidelines with a knee problem.

Xhaka, accidentally caught by Spurs forward Lucas Moura, could be out until next year, although it is hoped the Swiss midfielder will not need surgery.

“He has already had a couple of incidents this season with Covid and the suspension and now a long-term injury,” Arteta said.

“It is a significant injury, but he probably escaped an even worse injury in that action. He is a strong man and will use this time to focus on other things.”