Mikel Arteta has dismissed Thierry Henry's fears that emotion will get the better of Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
With the gap now just four points, Manchester City are hot on the Gunners' heels after two slip-ups away to Liverpool and West Ham. Squandering 2-0 leads in each game, Arsenal's players have faced questions over their mental strength, with Gunners legend Henry among those fearing a late collapse as the pressure dial ramps up.
"Since the start of the season I've been talking about emotions and how you don't win league titles with emotion. I'm sorry, but you don't," Henry, formerly a team-mate of Arteta's, declared on CBS Sports. "You can win a cup with emotions but not a 38-game season. You can't be too emotional and we've seen recently Arsenal have been too emotional.
"There is a difference between passion and emotion. You can feel emotions but don’t become too emotional, that's the difference. They need to stay calm. We are still ahead of Man City but they need to get rid of the emotional part of the game and concentrate on their job because we were not expected to be there.
"They may be a bit hurt mentally but we are still ahead. Man City still need to win their games and beat us. So it's still there in front of you, but for me we need to get rid of the emotional side of the game.
"When you watch Man City, they look composed whatever the score is. I know we are talking about the creme da le creme but this is what Arsenal need to be. Sometimes when I watch Arsenal, the game is so up and down and they lose control."
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Responding to Henry's comments ahead of Friday's crucial match at home to Southampton, Arsenal boss Arteta said: "It is just an opinion. You have to be ready [to kill games off] you have to put the ball in the net when you have the chance. The margins are so small so you have to defend in a much better way than we did [against West Ham]."
While the Gunners have the chance to go seven points clear by beating Southampton, City would still have two games in hand and, more crucially, welcome Arsenal to the Etihad Stadium next Wednesday in a potential title decider. After their wobble, Arteta firmly believes that his young squad, who've been doubted for their lack of experience all season, will bounce back.
"I'm very confident, the Gunners manager affirmed. "Twists and turns are part of anything you do, especially in football. Whatever the aim or the target is, it is not going to go in a linear progression. You have to know that and prepare for that and the way the team reacted this week is incredibly positive and we want to see that tomorrow night."
