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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has spoken of the importance of rebuilding a relationship between the supporters and the team ahead of his side’s showdown with Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday.
The new head coach took charge of his first game as Gunners boss on Boxing Day, in which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goal earned the team a point at Bournemouth. The striker celebrated wildly with supporters after levelling the scores at 1-1.
A lively atmosphere is expected at the Emirates Stadium for Arteta’s first home game at the helm and the former midfielder has said ahead of the game that he feels a strong bond between the fans and the players is crucial, per Tom Webber of Goal:
“I think energy is everything, in life, in football and sports, and if we are able to generate this [against Chelsea] it will give us a lift.
“I was really pleased how the fans treated the players [at Bournemouth] and I was happy that the players went to see the fans after the game as well because we need that connection. Slowly we need to build that back to what it was because it’s going to be very powerful for us to use that.
“[Chelsea] are a terrific team, so it will be a really good test for us.”
Here are the highlights from the 1-1 draw at the Vitality Stadium, as the Gunners recovered from a first-half setback to ensure Arteta enjoyed an unbeaten start to life in the Arsenal hot seat:
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News was critical of the manner in which the new Gunners skipper celebrated with the travelling fans after the equaliser:
Samuel Luckhurst @samuelluckhurst
Sums up Arsenal that Aubameyang celebrates an equaliser at *Bournemouth* by almost disappearing into the away end. He’s not the first Arsenal player to have done that. You’ve then got Greenwood, at 18, only thinking about the restart after equalising in league games. #MOTD
Throughout the season, it’s clear there’s been a lack of affinity between some sections of the Arsenal crowd and various players.
Granit Xhaka infamously reacted angrily to being substituted and jeered by the Emirates crowd earlier in the season against Crystal Palace, culminating in him being stripped of the club captaincy. Mesut Ozil was also on the end of similar flak from the supporters when taken off against Manchester City earlier this month.
Arteta will hope his appointment wipes the slate clean and that as a result, the players receive full backing from the crowd. Football writer Tim Stillman was encouraged by what he saw at Bournemouth:
Tim Stillman @Stillberto
A low bar, admittedly, but the best Arsenal have played in a while and certainly the hardest they’ve worked.
Arsenal are in desperate need of points heading into this encounter, as they sit down in 11th in the Premier League table ahead of the Week 20 matches.
Chelsea have shown vulnerabilities as of late, losing five of their last seven Premier League matches. Frank Lampard’s side did perform well in their previous away game though, when they were 2-0 winners at another London rival, Tottenham Hotspur.
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