Mikel Arteta reveals Arsenal dressing room reaction to Man City defeat | OneFootball

Gunners are no longer favourites to win the Premier League title

Mikel Arteta insisted his Arsenal players are now "more convinced" they can win the Premier League title despite defeat to Manchester City.

Erling Haaland struck the winner at the Etihad Stadium to give City a 2-1 victory and close the gap to Arsenal to just three points.

With City also having a game in hand over the Gunners, Pep Guardiola's side will go top of the Premier League on goal difference if they beat Burnley in midweek.

Despite the result, Arsenal's performance was much improved. They had opportunities to get something from the match, but Kai Havertz in particular was wasteful in front of goal.

It's a new league now ... We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for.

Mikel Arteta

"I believe today, I believed on Wednesday, a week ago because I see them every day and I know the level that we have," Arteta said.

"But today if [the players] need to be more convinced, I think they are now more convinced. They were talking about it in the dressing room.

"It's a new league now. They have a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play. So everything is still to play for.

"We're not going to stop and we're going to go again, that's for sure."

The Spaniard also dismissed the suggestion that he would have to pick his players up heading into the remainder of the campaign, after a run of four defeats in six matches.

"I mean if I have to pick the players to win the Premier League with five games to go in our hands and be in the final of the Champions League, I think I should be at home," Arteta said.

"So it's not the case. It's not needed. It's never been needed, even in difficult moments."

Arsenal are no longer favourites to win the title

PA

Arsenal fell behind against City after Rayan Cherki danced into the box and beat David Raya.

However, they hit back within two minutes after Havertz charged down a clearance from Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Gunners held their own for much of the match.

Havertz had a chance to snatch a point in stoppage time when he was picked out by Leandro Trossard's superb cross, but he powered a header over the bar.

Arteta admitted that the lack of a clinical edge cost his side, even if he was proud of how his players approached the match.

"We came here to win the game," Arteta said.

"I think the message was clear from three days before. We prepared to do that, to take the game to the areas that we believe we could win it.

"We certainly done that, even though we started the game with a goal down and psychologically we had to play with that. We've done it. So we proved that we are there.

"But the reality is in the two boxes today was a difference and that's what decided the game."