Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has expressed his determination to make Aston Villa “suffer” when the two sides meet again at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening.
This comes after Arsenal suffered a “cruel” 2-1 defeat at Villa Park just over three weeks ago, ending their 11-match unbeaten run with a stoppage-time winner from Emi Buendia.
Arteta acknowledged Villa’s impressive form and said they deserve their position third in the Premier League, just three points behind Arsenal. “They are meant to be there when you look at what they are doing and how consistent they have been and what Unai has done with the club,” Arteta said, praising Villa’s performance on the pitch.
Despite Villa’s strong showing, Arteta emphasized Arsenal’s intent to dominate and make their opponents suffer, similar to their performance against Brighton. “Every opponent that comes here, we want them to suffer, and be as dominant as we were against Brighton for the majority of the game,” he said.
Reflecting on the previous encounter, Arteta admitted the loss was harsh but sees it as a learning opportunity and motivation for his team. “It was quite cruel on us, the way we lost it, but we have learned from it and we can use that as motivation and hunger in the right manner.”
Villa have been in exceptional form, winning 11 consecutive matches, including a recent 2-1 victory over Chelsea, which has put them seven points clear of fourth-placed Liverpool at the halfway point of the season.
Arteta also addressed Arsenal’s squad depth challenges this season, with injuries affecting key players. Despite spending over £250 million on eight new signings in the summer, he did not rule out further reinforcements in the January transfer window.
“The window is there and I mean we are Arsenal and we have to be looking at it, ‘Okay, what do we need?’ And we have to be actively looking and then, whether we can do it or not, that’s a different story,” Arteta said. He stressed the importance of having the right player availability to compete effectively throughout the season.
In summary, Arteta is focused on learning from past mistakes, strengthening his squad if possible, and ensuring Arsenal put up a dominant performance to challenge Aston Villa in their upcoming fixture.
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