'We'll try to make them very happy' - Mikel Arteta demands Arsenal bounce back from Carabao Cup shocker and bring joy to fans at Anfield
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called on his players to absorb the pain of their shock Carabao Cup exit before turning their focus toward a massive Premier League showdown. The Gunners were stunned by League Two opposition on Wednesday night, leaving the Spaniard searching for answers ahead of a difficult trip to Merseyside.
Gunners stunned before massive Anfield trip
Arsenal's Carabao Cup ambitions came to a crashing halt on Wednesday evening as they were dumped out of the competition by Fleetwood Town. Despite Viktor Gyokeres finding the net to cancel out an early opener from the League Two minnows, the north London giants were unable to find a winner in regulation time and eventually fell to a 5-3 defeat in the subsequent penalty shootout. There is little time for the Gunners to dwell on the defeat, as a massive Premier League showdown with Liverpool looms on the horizon.
Arteta is aware that his team must move past this setback quickly to maintain their momentum at the top of the table. "We need to take it now on the chin. We are out of the competition, we’re very sad for all the people as well here who came to watch the game - I wanted to give them the victory. Now we need to recover, and get ready for Anfield," said Arteta on the club's official website.
Repaying the travelling faithful
Nearly 1,000 Arsenal supporters made the long journey to support the team, and their vocal backing was not lost on the manager. Despite the poor result, the fans stayed to show their appreciation for the players, and Arteta is determined to repay that loyalty with a big performance in their next outing. This match marked the beginning of a challenging run of three consecutive away fixtures, making a positive response against Liverpool even more vital for the club's season objectives.
Addressing the fans' commitment, Arteta issued a rallying cry ahead of the weekend. "They are always with us. That’s unquestionable, after the game they showed their appreciation to the team, and we’ll try to make them very happy against Liverpool," he stated.
Arteta refuses to blame committed players
The result from Highbury stadium marks one of the most disappointing nights of Arteta’s tenure, leaving the Premier League leaders to reflect on a missed opportunity for silverware. The Spanish manager was quick to acknowledge the achievement of the opposition while expressing his deep disappointment at the final outcome. Arteta refused to lay the blame at the feet of his squad's effort levels.
"Obviously, a really sad day for us. There’s nothing to criticise the players for in terms of their attitude, their application, their determination to go and play the game that we had to play, but obviously we conceded that really poor goal to start with and gave them some belief," the manager explained.
Defining fixtures loom before international break
Currently locked in a direct tie with Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League table, Arsenal are determined to sustain their domestic momentum when they take on Liverpool. The demanding schedule offers Arteta’s men no respite, as that high-stakes encounter is immediately followed by a midweek Champions League trip to face Slavia Prague away from home. The Gunners will then wrap up this rigorous sequence by returning to the Emirates Stadium to square off against Hull City, seeking a vital home victory right before top-flight club action pauses for the November international break.
