Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga has urged his teammates to stay united following three successive Premier League defeats.
Mikel Arteta's side were heavy favourites to finish fourth just a few weeks ago but they have since suffered a major collapse in form, with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United climbing above them in recent times. Now, Belgian international Lokonga has claimed that there is still time for the Gunners to bounce back, considering they are just three points behind Spurs who have also played one more league game this term.
“I think all the team is disappointed because of these few weeks, losing three games in a row,” the youngster said following Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Southampton. “So we have to believe in each other, and we have to stay together.
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“We have to stick together and we have to keep trusting each other. We have been through this at the start of the season, so we can do it again. We are all on the same page and we are in this together. We have to look game by game and bounce back.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted that his young squad need his support in the coming weeks, with the north Londoners travelling to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to battle it out against Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea. “Give all their support in the world to them, because they need it,” the Spaniard said when asked how he can help his squad.
“They are 19, 20, 21 years old, most of them and that’s what they need. We are in the same position where we were with one less game. We have to play on Wednesday and we have to lift them up. And the task is big, but the opportunity is as well.
"It’s so precious and we all want to do it. And we are going through the Premier League when we go against one team and we do what we did and today we come here and we are who we are, but at the end you have to win the matches and you want to be there. That has to be defined in the boxes.”