{"id":1024,"date":"2026-04-07T18:56:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1024"},"modified":"2026-04-07T18:56:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T18:56:27","slug":"mikel-arteta-hits-back-at-arsenals-critics-with-firm-message-before-sporting-clash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disport.com.ng\/?p=1024","title":{"rendered":"Mikel Arteta hits back at Arsenal&#8217;s critics with firm message before Sporting clash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_09e96c\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Arsenal are looking to bounce back from back-to-back damaging defeats in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup when they take on Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League quarter finals<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36976376\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta attends a press conference\" loading=\"eager\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 508px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976376.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2270110036.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976376.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s508\/0_GettyImages-2270110036.jpg 508w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976376.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615\/0_GettyImages-2270110036.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36976376.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_GettyImages-2270110036.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Mikel Arteta has issued a rallying cry to his players\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Mikel Arteta has issued a rallying cry to his players<cite aria-label=\"Image: Stuart MacFarlane\/Getty Images\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: Stuart MacFarlane\/Getty Images)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal will not allow \u201cpanic\u201d to creep in with their whole season hanging in the balance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Gunners boss Arteta says his players are \u201chungrier than ever\u201d to save their season from collapse ahead of their Champions League quarter final showdown with Sporting Lisbon. Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats in the Carabao Cup final and then crashed out of the FA Cup at Southampton on Saturday to turn up the heat on Arteta\u2019s men.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">But Arteta says Arsenal are ready for the challenge of their lives as the Premier League leaders face Sporting on Tuesday night and then a crunch showdown with Bournemouth on Saturday. Arteta said: \u201cI think what we have to do is clear, instead of panic, understand if that happens, why it happened and bring clarity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">&#8220;And when you analyse that and you accept that, you&#8217;ll be better. That&#8217;s it, and that&#8217;s the thing that we have to do. We are hungrier than ever, very excited and very motivated. Feel the pain, use it to improve.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\">FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE!<\/strong><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/mirrorfootballarsenal#\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">  Latest Gunners news and more on our dedicated Facebook page<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_4f362a\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Arsenal handed triple injury boost for Sporting clash but Mikel Arteta rules two stars out<\/span><\/span><span data-testid=\"readmore\" class=\"ReadMore_readmore-prefix__xS44r __className_4f362a\">READ MORE<!-- -->: <span class=\"ReadMore_readmore-link__eF9pN\">Sporting manager Rui Borges gives Arsenal verdict as season threatens to unravel<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cI know what it means to them and I know how much they want it. It&#8217;s now the moment to show it, and we have to do it on that green tomorrow at the highest level. I think when you have the opportunity that we have, that has to be taken through excitement, through preparing yourself in the best possible way, focusing on the present and on the things that we have to do.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cAnd especially in our identity, it&#8217;s very clear what is taking us on the way to where we are, and that&#8217;s where we have to focus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arteta insists the players can handle the pressure &#8211; because they have had their mentality questioned since the first day of the season. He added: \u201cThat&#8217;s in football, from the first game of the season. That&#8217;s going to be questioned. It&#8217;s okay, what about Arsenal this season? It&#8217;s been like this for the last nine months, and that&#8217;s going to continue; that&#8217;s never going to change when you play at this level for this club.<\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"image-group\"><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX false\" data-testid=\"imageembed-36975557\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"36975557\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"image\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.51\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A dejected looking Mikel Arteta after Arsenal's loss at Southampton\" loading=\"lazy\" sizes=\"(max-width: 458px) 458px, (max-width: 615px) 615px, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36975557.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Arsenal.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36975557.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s458b\/0_Arsenal.jpg 458w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36975557.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s615b\/0_Arsenal.jpg 615w, https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article36975557.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200e\/0_Arsenal.jpg 1200w\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Arsenal have suffered back-to-back defeats<cite aria-label=\"Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill - AMA\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: 2026 Catherine Ivill &#8211; AMA)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/div>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cThere&#8217;s always going to be a question mark. You have to live the present; you have to deliver it every day. You cannot pick the game, you cannot pick the moments or the actions. It&#8217;s every action, every game, every moment. And that&#8217;s the standard that we set and that&#8217;s part of identity and it&#8217;s part of this football club.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to the squad to face Sporting, Gabriel is also fit while Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber could be fit to face Bournemouth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/chat.whatsapp.com\/Feq1SEG6mXDIZGTTnek7oz\" rel=\"nofollow\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\"><em>Join our new WhatsApp community<\/em><\/a>  and receive your daily dose of <em>Mirror<\/em> <em>Football<\/em> content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. 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