Mikel Arteta has responded to claims that other teams have "figured out" Arsenal in recent weeks and maintains that his team has been dealing with defensive opponents all season.
After losing 3-1 to Manchester City at home on Wednesday night, Arsenal dropped to the top of the Premier League standings.
After a stellar first half of the season, Arsenal has experienced a rare slump in form and is winless in four games. They have also lost to City in the FA Cup, to Everton at Goodison Park, and in controversial circumstances at home to Brentford.
There are now suggestions that the compact and defensive formations used by Brentford and Everton have established something of a blueprint for stifling Arsenal, with both sides benefiting from a physical approach and runners from midfield.
However, Arteta claims his team has dealt with similar tactics all season and is unconcerned by claims that opponents have figured out how to frustrate the Gunners.
‘Well, how many low blocks have we faced this season?
‘Sixteen low blocks we have faced this season. So we have won a lot of those games. We have merited at the end of the game to win most of those games.
‘But then it’s about the efficiency. When they block everything and the ball doesn’t go in the net, it’s great if you win 2-0, then you have played the low block really, really well.
The following Arsenal game is against Aston Villa on Saturday at noon at Villa Park.
After losing the title six-pointer against Manchester City on Wednesday, the Gunners enter a league match for the first time in several weeks not atop the standings.
‘So always it is going to depend on certain things, there are always things that we have to improve and our efficiency in the box has not been as good as it was when we were winning football matches and tomorrow we will have to be really high to beat them.’
Asked if he is confident his side can handle the pressure of the title race, Arteta replied: ‘Well you have to.
‘At some stage, if you want to be at the top, you have to do it. Looking at what they did the other day, it gives me a lot of encouragement to think that they are ready.’
On Arsenal’s blip in form, he added: ‘It’s normal. Obviously you want to get maximum points and we didn’t in the last three games.
‘We have to look at ourselves, we have to be more efficient with the amount of play and situations we generated. We haven’t enough points and that’s down to us and we have to improve that because we want to win more games.’
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