Mikel Arteta has called on his squad to assume full responsibility for the Premier League title chase and to "get the job done" after a brief period of rest and reflection following their recent defeat to Manchester City. The Gunners had been overtaken at the summit by City after a 1-0 loss at Burnley on Wednesday, but with both clubs level on points and only five matches left, the championship remains very much up for grabs.
Arteta framed the final stretch of the season as a "new league" and highlighted the upcoming Saturday night fixture against Newcastle United at the Emirates as the first test of this renewed phase. He emphasized that Arsenal are eager to bounce back after suffering back‑to‑back setbacks against Bournemouth and City, and that confidence, trust and clarity about what the team wants to achieve on the pitch are essential.
"It's important to feel the confidence, the trust and clarity on what we want to deliver on the pitch," he told Sky Sports. "But now is a moment for all of us to take ownership. We can talk all day, but we need to go on that pitch and we need to get the job done." He praised the influence of senior players while also noting that younger members of the squad, even those lacking extensive experience, have shown the personality and determination needed in these decisive moments. According to Arteta, the reaction in the dressing room after the loss at the Etihad was exactly what he wanted to see – a heightened conviction that the title is still within reach.
"Immediately, the reaction in the dressing room I really liked because I could sense that they were even more convinced than before the game that we're going to do it," Arteta said. He added that the team used the sunny, relatively quiet week after the defeat to recharge, refresh and discuss the kind of side they aspire to become.
The analytical review of the match was brief; the focus then shifted to rebuilding confidence, sharpening clarity and preparing for the remaining five games, beginning with Newcastle. "It was a long week, the sun was shining. We used it to recharge, refresh...
We talked about the team that we want to be. The analytical part was very short and at the start of the week.
Afterwards, it was focus on us and the things we want to see and build again; that connection and clarity and the five games left. Newcastle is game one - go for it," he explained. Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal's attacking approach against City, though ultimately insufficient to secure a win, demonstrated a willingness to take the initiative and caught the league leaders off guard.
He also warned that goal difference could become a decisive factor, meaning that squad selection in the final weeks will be a critical challenge, especially with the expected returns of Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori from injury. "That's one of the biggest headaches for any manager – to nail the line‑up of how we start and how we're going to finish the game. The game that we expect at the beginning and then how we can change it if the context is different. We have a very different profile of players which is good.
Hopefully this weekend we're going to have another two or three players back which is a massive boost for us and we're looking forward to it," he added. Forward Gabriel Martinelli relayed Arteta's message to the squad after the Etihad loss, emphasizing the belief that the team knows how to reach the summit and finally end the 22‑year wait for a league crown. "He said we have to have full belief in ourselves.
He said we didn't get to this point and playing good football because of other people, it's because of us. It's because of us and what we've been doing all season. We know how to get there, we want to win the title and put our names in the history of the club," Martinelli said.
Defender William Saliba echoed the sentiment, stating that Arsenal are ready to give everything in the closing weeks to break the 22‑year drought. Speaking to Men In Blazers, Saliba described the recent defeat as undeserved but a learning experience. "We are in the big part of the season now. Of course the last few weeks were not so great for us but we learn from that and now we're looking forward to play on Saturday and changing everything.
We know what we have to do if we want to win that league. We have to start on Saturday. We have good pressure with us because when you play football, you want to play these kinds of games," he said. He admitted the disappointment of the loss but framed it as part of the sport's reality: "When you lose a game, you're not happy.
We know that we didn't deserve to lose the last game. But it's life. It's like this when you don't kill your opponent. We learned a lot from that game and we know that everything is possible.
We know we have to win every game now if we want to take this Premier League." Saliba stressed the need for composure and collective effort: "We need to be calm. We need to die on the pitch as well because it's now.
We have to go. We need everyone – the fans, the team, the staff – we have to give everything and die on the pitch." The message from the coaching staff and senior players is clear: Arsenal must harness their confidence, maintain tactical flexibility, and capitalize on the return of key players to secure the points needed in the final stretch.
With five games remaining, each match is a potential title‑deciding battle, and Arteta believes his side have the character and quality to rise to the occasion.