Mikel Arteta says his Arsenal players are being fuelled by “a sense of revenge and determination” as they bid to get their title charge back on track against Southampton.
The Gunners are currently four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, although Pep Guardiola’s side have a game in hand.
If Arsenal beat Southampton on Friday they can stretch their lead to seven points ahead of Wednesday’s crucial title decider against City at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal’s lead, however, could be greater as they have drawn their last two games after being 2-0 up and Arteta believes those setbacks are driving his side on.
“I see a sense of revenge and determination to get it even better and that it’s not enough and you have to tweak it and demand more and more of each other,” he said.
“We have to be perfectionists, but at the same time we have to play with that flow.
“We are really good when we play with that energy and flow and don’t be thinking about the results. That’s the last thing that we have to do.
“If anything this week I’ve had to stop them because they want it more and more, so let’s leave it for tomorrow because that’s the day we have to show it.
“The way they talked, the way they communicated in the meetings we had [showed how the players are motivated by a sense of revenge and determination].
“The discussions are to understand how we move forward after that. It was all the right answers – they were very clear on what we want, how we’re going to do it and why it’s taken us all the way here. That’s what we have to continue.”
Arteta is unlikely to make many changes to his side for the game at home to Saints, despite Arsenal’s recent slip-ups. William Saliba is still out with a back injury, but Oleksandr Zinchenko should return.
The left-back missed last week’s draw at West Ham with a groin issue, however he has trained this week.
One player struggling for minutes, though, is Emile Smith Rowe. The attacking midfielder missed the first half of the season after having groin surgery and he has played just 68 Premier League minutes since making his comeback in January.
“I think what he needs is like any player, he needs clarity, he needs to feel loved, to understand why he is [in that position], and where he wants to be, and what he needs to do to get there,” said Arteta.
“And he is on the right path. There’s a lot of competition now in the team and he needs as well the right moment and the right time in the game to get the opportunity and then he needs to take it.
“He’s in a good place. I’ve been to see him - to talk about life, and part of his life is what he does here every single day. But he knows, he is in a very good place.”
