Mikel Arteta accuses media of trying to ‘break’ Arsenal squad’s bond after win at Chelsea FC

Simon Collings
·2 min read
<p>Arteta insists “nothing is broken” at Arsenal</p> (Getty Images)

Arteta insists “nothing is broken” at Arsenal

(Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta has clarified comments he made in the media ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea and insisted he will always defend his players.

Ahead of Arsenal’s match with Chelsea on Wednesday, which the Gunners won 1-0, Arteta spoke about how some players had not given their maximum this season.

The Spaniard, speaking after the win at Chelsea, aimed to clarify those comments, insisting he was not criticising his players’ effort or work rate.

Arteta has explained the responsibility is on him to ensure his players deliver their maximum and said he had been misquoted by the media.

“Nothing is broken, inside nothing is broken. I don’t know how hard they try from the outside, but inside no. They will try to put things on me that I never said,” said Arteta.

“You can see the spirit of the team from the first minute. It doesn’t matter if we are playing to be seventh, eighth, ninth. You can see that and you can never doubt about the effort and how much they try.

“I said if I don’t get 120 per cent off each player, it’s my fault and responsibility. And it wasn’t like this in the press and I am so annoyed by that.

“My players, I will defend them in front of everybody for the rest of the time that I’m here - because they deserve that, because they earn it every single day.

“The players give me everything every day. Everybody here does that, because if they doesn’t, I am not here or the players are not here.

POOL/AFP via Getty Images
POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“Because the only thing I am going to demand until the last day is that they give me everything that they have. That’s all.

“After the ability, we can play better, worse, win, lose - but that [work-rate] is unquestionable and non-negotiable, 100 per cent.

“They (the media) are not going to break it [the bond in the Arsenal squad]. They can try, but they’re not going to break it.

“I know the chemistry that we have, not only with the players, but with our staff, with all the coaching staff, with the board and they cannot touch.

“And, if they try to touch it it can be with opinions, but not saying that something I never said. I’m not taking that. It’s the first time I have to make my point.”

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