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Arteta on self-belief and the supporters

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Manchester City will do wonders for their self-belief.

The Spanish midfielder helped his team recover from conceding an early goal at Emirates Stadium on Saturday and go close to taking all three points after Mathieu Flamini's equaliser.

It helped end a difficult week for the club on a high note, and Arteta believes Arsenal can build on that.

"It means a lot [in terms of self-belief] after two disappointing results in a row," he said.

"I liked the character and the desire the team showed"

"After we went 1-0 down, mentally we were really strong and showed great belief. We were playing against one of the best teams in the country and we had the best situations in the game.

"We all came together again and fought a lot and deserved at least a point. The lads had a great response, and I thought we could have nicked a goal to win it. I liked the character and the desire the team showed."

Not for the first time this season, the Emirates crowd played its part in a stirring Arsenal fightback.

"When we have the crowd behind us, it gives us something extra," he said. "To play here as a visitor, it is really difficult when everyone is behind Arsenal, it makes it really hard.

"I know they [the fans] were disappointed with the results, but we have a real chance now to finish the season strongly.

"Mentally someone had to put it right, and only we [the players] could do that. We have got the crowd back with us now and hopefully we can finish the season strong because there is still a lot to play for."