Mikel Arteta wants his players to harness the fighting spirit that saw us come back to beat Bournemouth last season to help push them a step closer to winning the Premier League title.
That classic against the Cherries saw us bounce back from conceding in the first nine seconds to win it with the last kick of the ball, with a never-say-die spirit driving us on when adversity struck to clinch a huge three points.
And while the boss is hoping that such drastic measures won’t be required when Bournemouth return to Emirates Stadium for the first time since that iconic afternoon last March, the need for victories is even greater this time around and Mikel wants us to be ready to dig deep if required to continue to put Manchester City under pressure.
Looking back on last season, he said: “It is a great memory because the game ended in a really beautiful way. It was one of the highlights of the season, so we know we’re going to have to earn it again tomorrow. It’s going to be a really tough match but the team is ready.
“You need that [resilience] at any stage, but now obviously with what is there to win, we know that we’re going to have to win games in different ways, and that can be one. Hopefully tomorrow it’s not that, but if it has to be to win it, it’s welcome.
“I have a different game in my head for tomorrow but we are going to have to perform really well tomorrow and be our best. If we do that, we have a really good chance of winning.
“We played in many different scenarios this season and our job is clear. We have to win our game and wait. The only thing we can focus on is that.”
Huge victories over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have kept us at the top of the table, and while it has been suggested that it was easy for our squad to get up for those huge games against our rivals, Mikel is adamant that his squad aren’t taking anything for granted ahead of this weekend with the margin for error virtually non-existent.
He revealed that as soon as they came off the field at Spurs, talk turned to Saturday’s visit of the Cherries, reassuring him that his players are hungry to win all their remaining games to give them the best possible chance of glory in a fortnight’s time.
“The first thing that we did was try to read where the spirit was and the energy,” Mikel added. “They were talking about [Bournemouth] already, almost as if it's going to be even more important, now we have momentum, now we have to keep going. They know what is at stake.”
Revealing what he has been telling the players in the build-up to this one, he suggested: “Just focus and put all your energy into finding that determination and willingness to do our best to earn the right to win games.
“The first one is Bournemouth, it’s at home, it’s going to be an unbelievable atmosphere again. Be present and be in the moment and let’s see what happens.”
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