Mikel Arteta has begged the Arsenal fans to stay behind the team in a sticky patch (Picture: Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has made a plea to Arsenal fans to stay behind the team after they suffered their third straight defeat, telling supporters that the side do not deserve any different.
The Gunners were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon at The Emirates, coming off the back of defeats to West Ham and Fulham in the Premier League.
That makes it just one win in seven games for Arsenal, the fewest wins in a seven game stretch they have managed under Arteta’s management, according to Opta.
The fans have not turned on Arteta just yet, but sections of the crowd in north London on Sunday made it clear that they want the team to sign a striker this month.
The Gunners have played well in recent games but failed to convert their many chances and the situation was the same against the Reds this weekend.
Arteta did not respond directly to the request, but he did ask fans to keep providing their support to the team, believing that their efforts and application deserve it.
‘What I beg the supporters is that they are behind the team, that they’ve done in difficult moments,’ Arteta told a post-match press conference. ‘Stick with the ones we have – they are incredibly good.
Jakub Kiwior scored an own goal to put Liverpool ahead before Luis Diaz scored the second (Picture: Getty Images)
‘If not, they don’t do what they’ve done again today, in Anfield and here. Stick with them, it’s exactly what they need, that we are fully behind them.
‘Then they feel important, and supported because they deserve it, with their attitude they don’t deserve anything different. That’s my opinion.’
Arsenal have some time off before they have a chance to improve their run of poor results, hosting Crystal Palace in the Premier League on 20 January.
Liverpool rode their luck into the fourth round of the FA Cup (Picture: Getty Images)
Arteta is certainly not panicking, not enjoying the run of defeats, but not overly concerned about the performance levels of his side.
‘It is very difficult but if the team is getting hammered and not playing well, and not deserving to win football matches I would be much more worried,’ he said.
‘I am worried because I love winning and we have to win many more games. At the moment that is the thing we have to change and probably what has to be reset is up here [mentally].’
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‘I beg the supporters.’