Mikel Arteta is hoping Arsenal can develop a mentality of being able to win ‘dirty’ as the north London side look to stretch their unbeaten run.
Arsenal face Aston Villa at the Emirates this evening, hoping to extend their run without defeat to six Premier League fixtures as the Gunners seek to climb up the division.
Earlier this week, Jurgen Klopp discussed Liverpool’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and said ‘dirty points are often the most important’ after a hard-fought win in Spain, and Arteta admits he is keen for Arsenal to develop a similar resilience and winning mentality.
“Yes, my focus is to win and play well, and this is what we have to do,” he said at his pre-match press conference. “When we were playing well, and in the phases that we were playing well we dominated the game. We generated the chances, and we deserved to win the game.
“The issues come when we don’t start to do that. But when you do that you have to show enough resilience and know-how to manage those situations; like we had to do against Brighton in certain moments, and still be able to win the match.
“Sometimes individuals actions, [such as] a set piece helps you to do that. Of course it’s another way of winning, and it has to be present in the way the team acts and thinks.”
