Arsenal's boss Mikel Arteta has told fans to keep faith in his squad, insisting their unity is key to the team's performance. In the aftermath of a disheartening Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg loss to Newcastle, Arteta underlined the Gunners’ progress, highlighting a stronger position compared to this time last season.
Speaking ahead of an FA Cup showdown with Manchester United, Arteta stressed: "In my opinion, it's crucial. The success we’ve had is very much related to the atmosphere and the energy that we have created amongst our supporters so that’s it."
He then delved into the team's resilience amid challenges, saying: "In the first part of the season, with all the injuries and suspensions, with more games and more competitions, we are in a better position than last year or exactly the same in the Premier League. How is that possible?
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"Everything is ahead. It’s in our control. There are things we can still do better with or without injuries, and with the schedule, and we focus on that."
The Spaniard has emphasised the need for squad rotation at Arsenal due to the packed fixture schedule, stating: "I think we have rotated a lot for different reasons and we’re going to have to continue rotating because of the amount of games that we have and the level of the players that we have.
"I don’t see it being about competitions - it’s about momentum, it’s about feeling, it’s about what we need in the occasion as well to give ourselves the best chance to win. So my selection is going to be in that, not on the competition."
The Gunners, who have won the most FA Cups (14) in the history of the competition, are gearing up to exploit set-pieces against Ruben Amorim's side, with Arteta hinting at targeting United's stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir: "If there's a way that we believe we can hurt them, certainly we will focus on those areas."
Despite the injury to star player Bukayo Saka, Arteta hailed his winger: "He's been around a lot. It’s great to have him. There’s always a smile on his face.
"Unfortunately we've had a lot of players injured so we do it for all of them."
Arteta concluded with a nod to the fans and his own drive: "But we do it for our people and because it's our job and passion to try and win football matches."
