Mikel Arteta seeks stability protection as Arsenal face quick turnaround

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged the Premier League to provide security to clubs for an early start on Saturday after play on Wednesday evening. Premier League teams competing in the Champions League are not scheduled in the 1230 GMT slot on Saturday if they played in Europe the previous Wednesday. However, just 63 hours after the full-time whistle in their 3-1 defeat against Manchester City, Arsenal faced Aston Villa in a crucial Premier League fixture on Saturday morning.

After that devastating defeat saw Arsenal hand City top spot in the Premier League, the tired Gunners have no room for error at Villa Park.

While it is too late to help Arsenal on this occasion, Arteta wants the Premier League fixture schedule to be changed in future to provide protection to all clubs instead of the Champions League.

“The Champions League has certain rules. When you’re playing on a Wednesday night and then you can’t play (at Saturday lunchtime). So I think it applies to any competition,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. Needed.”

“But I think following the same principle, I think you are talking physically, it is very difficult in that period to get the best results and minimize the risk of injury for the players , but it is.

“They kept the schedule the way they did. It’s a bit unusual, but that’s how it is. The players are highly motivated for tomorrow’s game because we want to do well and win the game.”

“It’s not about being worried or not worrying. We have to play. I want the players to be in the best possible mindset and physically ready to face that challenge.”

Despite his complaints, Arteta was adamant that he would not use kick-off time as an excuse if Arsenal failed to win at Villa.

“We knew we were going to play at that point. It’s not an excuse,” he said.

“I think they (their players) are young. They have a lot of energy.”

Having held an eight-point lead over City just a month earlier, Arsenal faltered in four matches without a win in all competitions.

Their bid for a first Premier League title since 2004 is in danger of being blown up, but Arteta believes his young team can cope with the mounting pressure.

He said, “If you want to be at the top, you have to do this. Seeing what they (the players) did the other day gave me a lot of encouragement that they are ready.

We talked about the position we are in over the last few months, the way the team is playing and what you need to do to be there.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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