Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to prove they have learned the lessons of last season’s disastrous defeat at Tottenham when the Premier League leaders visit their north London rivals on Sunday.
Although Arsenal powered to a 3-1 victory in the derby in October—making it three wins in the last four meetings—it is the painful memory of their most recent trip to Tottenham that remains etched in the minds of Arteta’s players.
With just three games remaining last season, Arsenal would have been guaranteed to qualify for the Champions League if they won at fellow top four contenders Tottenham in May. Instead, they crumbled to a woeful 3-0 defeat, then lost the next match at Newcastle to allow Tottenham to pip them to fourth place in a collapse that sparked furious criticism of Arteta from frustrated fans.
It was a debacle that could have proved fatal to Arteta’s Arsenal project, but the Spaniard has impressively made amends with his astute leadership during a campaign that has exceeded all expectations. Arteta believes the bitter taste from last season’s surrender at Tottenham has played a significant role in fuelling Arsenal’s title push. “That was the result and the performance. There was a lot of things to learn and take from it,” Arteta said.
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