Mikel Arteta says Arsenal need to focus on winning games first before worrying about goal difference in an extremely tight Premier League title race with Manchester City.
The Gunners welcome Newcastle United to the Emirates Stadium this Saturday as they look to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Bournemouth and City.
Those losses have allowed Pep Guardiola’s side to reel them in and go level on points and goal difference in the table. City are currently ahead based on the goals scored tiebreaker with five games remaining.
Mikel Arteta not focused on goal difference in title race
Asked if goals difference will play a part in the title race, Arteta answered: “We don’t know. We are just talking about a lot of possibilities. Then, depending on how the situation is, then you can start to think about something else.
“You have to put everything into it. Those five games start tomorrow. Everything you have, you have to put it on the table, and you have to make it happen.”
Arsenal are in danger of losing a fourth consecutive title race after having a nine-point lead at the top of the standings before the Bournemouth game, but Arteta is content with the situation they find themselves in.
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“Win tomorrow. Game one, win, and we will be that much closer,” he added.
“I have belief in our players, in our people and the willingness we have to achieve what we want.
“It’s five games to go, four weeks. Two big competitions to play for and everything to play for.
“If someone had told us that at the beginning of the season, we would have taken it.”
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