2025-10-31 15:34:46

Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to maintain their “consistency”.

The Gunners are four points clear at the top of the Premier League heading into Saturday’s (01.11.25) game against Burnley and the coach has dismissed the suggestion that his side is unstoppable at present.

Arteta said: “You always have that sense of urgency, and you see the complications and the challenges that the next opponent is going to bring you, and we know that and every three days, we have very little time to train and prepare.

“It’s a big opportunity that we have ahead of us, but we have to continue with that level of consistency, and we know how difficult that is.

“Tomorrow is going to be an extremely tough match for us, and we’re going to have to again hit those performance levels.”

Arsenal are currently in a run of seven matches in the space of 22 days and Arteta has urged football’s governing bodies to take notice of fixture concerns.

He said: “Every decision that we make in terms of a fixture has to be guided on two main things; players’ welfare, and then supporters, and that is it, and the rest has to come very, very far away from that. And we should never forget that principle.

“If we have that big piece of paper with those two principles there in front before we make any decision, all of us in our industry, we won’t get there. If we don’t and we just ignore that, then anything is possible.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed last year that players could strike if fixtures continue to increase but Arteta thinks the game can avoid such an extreme measure.

He said: “If we look after the players’ welfare and our supporters, we are never going to get to that point.

“We have to close the window there. We cannot open that window. It has to be closed. It’s our most precious value.

“We have the best league in the world and we cannot just open any window for anything just to lose that because we don’t respect that, and we forget what we are made of and what makes this game and this league so, so special. And if we respect that, I’m sure we’re going to be totally fine.”

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