Arteta shrugs off title pressure ahead of Arsenal's trip to stubborn Leeds

Mikel Arteta is keen not to let Arsenal’s three-match winless streak in the Premier League affect the players, calling for his team to stay grounded as they pursue their first English top-flight title since 2003-04.

Sunday’s home loss to Manchester United shaved Arsenal’s lead at the top to four points over Manchester City and Aston Villa. But Arteta said that Arsenal should focus on the overall picture of their season so far.

“It’s about understanding where you are,” Arteta told reporters on Friday, a day before their trip to Leeds United.

“Certainly when you lose a game you have a lot of feelings, especially this group of players because they are so competitive. They search for excellence and when you don’t reach it, you ask questions, and we did that.

“My role there is to bring optimism and reality of where we are. Our club has a long, long history and to find the position we are in February, it’s hard to find.”

Arsenal, who beat Kairat Almaty 3-2 on Wednesday, won all eight of their Champions League matches, reaching the round of 16 as the top team in the league phase. The north Londoners are also gunning for the FA Cup and the League Cup.

“We’re doing a lot of things so well and let’s focus mainly on that and for sure, we want to improve… but with that sense of self-confidence and conviction that we’re on the right path,” Arteta said.

Defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba were rested for the Kairat game due to minor injuries and are fit for the trip to Leeds, the manager said. Max Dowman, their 16-year-old right winger, remains the only Arsenal player sidelined with injury.

Leeds lost 5-0 at Arsenal in August, but they have since beaten Chelsea, held Liverpool twice and drawn with Manchester United to move six points clear of the relegation zone, losing only one of their last 11 matches in all competitions.

But Arteta said he wanted his players to shrug off the pressure of expectation and play with “freedom and enjoyment”, knowing that they have the full backing of the manager and his staff.

“We need to make sure the journey is beautiful because what lies ahead is great and everyone needs to be part of that, but in a good sense and with good humour, good optimism and looking forward to it,” he added.