Press conference

'It's not time to hide, we've to take the bullets'

Mikel Arteta does not shy away from the fact that the current situation is hurting him - but says him and his squad have to front up and "take the bullets".

We have lost our last four Premier League games at Emirates Stadium, and ahead of Wednesday's game against Southampton, our manager says the only way to deal with the situation is to meet it head on.

 

"I feel the pressure all of the time," Arteta said. "When we have those [better] spells, everything has not been beautiful. The last few months of last summer there were a lot of difficult moments, believe me. There wasn't everything nice and easy and enjoyable.

 

"Obviously, when you are winning, you create a different mood. Then the pressure once you win is to win again, the pressure is always going to exist, I prefer that. That pressure when you are always thinking about winning and going into the next trophy but this is our reality right now and we have to face it.

 

"We have to face it being brave, fighting and no one giving up. It's not time to hide, it's time to put your face and your body on the line and at the moment, I'm sorry, but we have to take the bullets.

 

"We're not winning football matches and you have to put your chest out [and say], 'Hit me' because you have the right to hit me, because I'm not winning. What else can I do? Put my head down, work harder and try to do things better and improve. It's how we have to approach this."

 

It is part of a manager's lot that they will often take the the brunt of the criticism when things are going badly, and Arteta says he is working overtime to put things right.

 

"It’s natural, I accept it and it’s part of the job," he said. "When you’re not getting results, at the end of the day its the manager who has the maximum responsibility to do this.

 

"That’s why I accept it because you can say whatever you want to explain, but in the end you have to win football matches and this club is too big to accept this many losses in the last few weeks. My chest is here and hit me you guys."

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