Feb 21 (Reuters) – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta rejected the term ‘bottlers’ ahead of Sunday’s Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur, as the title race heats up after their lead was cut short by successive Premier League draws at Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Arsenal have won just two of their last seven league games, with second-placed Manchester City now five points behind with a game in hand.
Under Arteta, the North London club has finished as the runners-up in their last three campaigns.
“It’s not part of my vocabulary and I don’t see it like this because I don’t think anybody wants to do that as an intention,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, when asked about the term being used regarding their latest wobble in the title race.
“That’s individual opinion, perspective. You have to respect that. That’s what I said after in the press conference. You lose two points against Wolves in the manner that the game played out, you have to take it on the chin. It’s part of our role.”
“What I’m very interested in is the next one, what we are made of, what we love about this and how we write our own destiny from here.”
Arsenal have also reached the League Cup final and the round of 16 in the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Meanwhile, Tottenham, who are 16th in the Premier League, will enter into Sunday’s game under newly appointed manager Igor Tudor, who replaced Thomas Frank last week.
(Reporting by Karan Prashant Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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