Mikel Arteta, busy treading water since the beginning of the new season to stay afloat, is still besieged with problems on and off the pitch, despite the Gunners winning two back-to-back games on the bounce.
Mirror Sport reports that the Spaniard was openly challenged by an unnamed Arsenal player during a team meeting in front of the rest of the squad who openly voiced his frustration that some individuals are being treated differently at the Emirates.
The Gunners have refreshingly made a sudden turnaround in winning recent back-to-back matches in the Premier League against Chelsea and Brighton, which has eased off some of the pressure mounting on the ex Man City assistant coach. But the fact still remains that Arsenal are currently floundering down in 13th and nine points adrift of the top four places.
Left-back Sead Kolasinac left Arsenal on a half-season loan this Thursday, being the first player out the door at Arsenal with the defender joining Bundesliga club Schalke in what could be a busy month with Arteta going about looking to remove the deadwood.
Arteta, who replaced his Spanish compatriot Unai Emery in 2019, had looked like a very likely target for the chopping block ahead of Arsenal’s two recent wins.
Following the 1-0 victory over the Seagulls, a rejuvenated Arteta told the press:
“Any manager it’s hard enough considering the context – it’s been quite a challenge.
“I’ve suffered in some moments but I have great people around me.
“This period has been so important. We had a tough week, it wasn’t so much about performances but about results yet you need results to start the confidence.
“Now with two wins, everybody is in a better mood. We’ve managed to get through this period while maintaining our team spirit and cohesion.
“It has been frustrating with defeats and that can affect the team but hopefully we can now go on a runs in a positive direction.”