Mikel Arteta tells his Arsenal stars to keep rowing or go to 'Disneyland'
MIKEL ARTETA has told his Gunners they must keep rowing if they want title glory.
The Arsenal boss bizarrely made light of Ben White and Oleksandr Zinchenko's furious failures during the week by joking that they have now made up for it by 'sharing women'.
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But Arteta says without his players putting pressure on each other, their Premier League dreams will remain confined to 'Disneyland'.
If Arsenal beat table toppers Liverpool on Sunday, they will move two points clear of them.
Emirates' blockbuster comes just five days after White and Zinchenko had to be separated when they clashed over a late goal in the 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest.
Asked if the defenders were friends again, Arteta joked: “They've been in the same house for the last few days – sharing their wives and stuff!
“It's fine, they live together now. They are best friends.”
More seriously, Arteta added: 'You don't argue with someone if you don't have a good relationship.
“You need the trust and chemistry with someone to respond the way they did.
“I love it. As long as it is in a respectful way and with the intention to be more demanding as a team and it will remain that way.
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“A conversation can become heated with emotion after the match. It is normal.
“I want my players to have the desire to improve and to be demanding. If not, it's Disneyland.”
Arteta is again missing Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey, who suffered a setback in his four-month recovery from thigh surgery.
The Gunners chief added: “We had a setback a few days ago. We'll see if it's a matter of days or weeks.
“He felt something in a similar area and was unable to train for the past few days.”
Arsenal have recovered from a difficult December, in which they dropped from first place to fourth.
Asked whether their clash with Jurgen Klopp's Reds is a must-win, Arteta said: “We have proven that we can beat big teams. It will be an incredible atmosphere.”
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