A defiant Mikel Arteta says Arsenal can fully focus on surrendering the Premier League title to Manchester City following their European exit last night.
The Spaniard was in bullish mood despite the Gunners bowing out in the last 16 of the Europa League after a penalty shootout defeat by Sporting Lisbon at the Emirates.
LISBON, PORTUGAL – MARCH 9: Mikel Arteta of Arsenal FC in action during the Round of 16 Leg One – UEFA Europa League match between Sporting CP and Arsenal FC at Estadio Jose Alvalade on March 9, 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)
It was a special night too for Aaron Ramsdale who equaled David Seaman’s record of becoming only the second goalkeeper in Arsenal’s history to be lobbed from the halfway line in a European fixture.
‘Even though we played a gruelling 120 minutes of football, lost key players to injury and got knocked out of Europe, it was a great night for us’, Arteta told Paddy Power News after the game.
‘Now we can fully concentrate on bottling the Premier League title and breaking Piers Morgan’s heart’.
‘It won’t be easy to throw away a 5-point lead, but we must remind ourselves that this is the same bunch of lads who finished 5th last season’.
Meanwhile, the 40-year-old refused to be drawn on reports Patrick Vieira is after the Arsenal manager’s job following his sacking by Crystal Palace.
Palace chairman Steve Parish relieved the former Arsenal skipper of his duties this morning via an intermediary by the name of Tyson Fury.
‘You’ll have to ask Patrick if he wants my job but if the answer is yes then he can have it because he could kick my shit in’, admitted Arteta.
‘It’s a real shame Palace sacked him because we play them at the weekend and we were hoping Pat would make them roll over for us’.
In related news, after it emerged Julia Roberts was a Manchester United fan and Kim Kardashian appeared at the Emirates last night, Liverpool have invited Kerry Katona to be their special guest at their next home game against the Gunners.
*Paddy Power’s breaking news coverage is 110% nonsense and that’s the truth. Honest.
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