“Let’s break it” : Mikel Arteta when asked about Arsenal’s New Year’s Day curse
Arsenal extended their league at the top of the table to 4 points, as they defeated fellow title contenders Aston Villa 4-1 at home. Meanwhile, Manchester City were held to a 0-0 draw at Sunderland, as Pep Guardiola’s men drop their first points in over a month.
During the pre-match presser ahead of the Bournemouth clash, Mikel Arteta was asked about the New Year’s curse which has plagued Arsenal. The last five times Arsenal have ended the year on top of the league, they have never managed to win the league. In fact, Arsenal have not managed to win the league in over two decades, finishing as the runner-up in the last three seasons.
However, Mikel Arteta was quite confident about breaking the streak, and said: “Let’s break it.” He stated that the players are eager to land the PL title at the Emirates this season. However, he stressed on the importance of treating each day equally, and not think about things too far ahead. He stated that there are around five more months remaining before the season ends, hence, he wants complete focus from his squad during this period.
“That’s what they transmit every single day when they’re with us, training or in every match. You can see the desire, you can see the energy they put in, how much they want it, and that’s what we need. It’s still five months to go, so take it day by day, enjoy that process of being where we are and go for it,” Arteta said.
Mikel Arteta’s side have done a splendid job in the Champions League as well, winning all six of their fixtures so far. They sit at the top of the UCL Table as well, having beaten the likes of Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid at home. Arsenal also managed to scrape through into the semifinals of the Carabao Cup, as they overcame Crystal Palace in a penalty-shoot out in the quarterfinals.
Arsenal will now face Bournemouth in a late kickoff on Saturday. The Cherries have problems of their own, however, turning up against the bigger teams has not been an issue for them. They held Manchester United 4-4, and notably Chelsea 2-2 in the midweek fixture.
