Key Takeaways
- Arsenal still lead the Premier League by six points, but have won only one of their last five games.
- Mikel Arteta wants worried supporters to channel nerves into energy for Sunday’s summit meeting with Manchester City.
- Former striker Chris Sutton says the Spaniard must land either the league or the Champions League to keep his job.
Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal fans to swap anxiety for extra noise when the league leaders host Manchester City on Sunday in a match that could tilt the title race.
Arsenal hold a six-point advantage at the top, yet a run of one victory in five fixtures has left Emirates Stadium on edge. The manager believes that tension, if harnessed, can become “a vitamin” for his players rather than a weight around their necks.
“We need that hunger,” Arteta said. “When supporters feel the moment, they must push us forward, not drag us down.”
His plea follows booing after last weekend’s 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth, only Arsenal’s second league defeat at the ground all season. With City arriving in form, some fans fear another slip could hand the initiative to Pep Guardiola’s side.
“If we lose on Sunday the title is City’s to lose,” one supporter told BBC Sport outside the ground. Another called the contest “a 50-50 fight”.
Arteta has tried every marginal gain to spark a response: light shows, new goal music, even removing the tunnel cover so players feel the crowd earlier. Before the Bournemouth game a video montage carried his voice-over demanding “bring your lunch, bring your dinner” to create a siege mentality. The result still went against Arsenal.
Style has also come under scrutiny. Once praised for free-flowing moves, the Gunners now grind opponents down through rigid structure and deadly set pieces. Nicolas Jover, the set-piece coach, has become such a cult figure that a mural of him adorns an exterior wall and fans cheer every corner.
Football writer Rory Smith admires the tactical plan but warns it lacks sparkle. “They are a coaching masterpiece, yet not always fun to watch,” he told BBC Radio 5 Live. “If you bore the crowd, you’d better win.”
Arteta’s April record supports the concern: he has won just 42% of league fixtures in the month since taking charge. That stretch has included three consecutive second-place finishes and no English crown since 2004.
Former Blackburn striker Chris Sutton believes the wait must end. “This is make-or-break for Mikel,” he said. “If he doesn’t deliver the Premier League or the Champions League, the fans’ view of him will shift and the board may have to act.”
City, meanwhile, have won their last eight in all competitions. Victory in north London would move them level on points with Arsenal and ahead on goal difference before the Gunners’ next home date with Newcastle.
Arteta insists his squad are calm. “We know what is at stake,” he added. “Now we must turn that pressure into power.”
Kick-off on Sunday is 4:30 p.m. East Africa Time. Live radio and text coverage will be available on BBC platforms.