Mikel Arteta answers to Virgil van Dijk's criticisms with a telling Arsenal admission.
Arsenal face Crystal Palace on Wednesday night knowing that failure to win would crown Liverpool champions, but Mikel Arteta will not look to shield his players before the Champions League encounter against PSG.
Mikel Arteta has stated that there is little desire to rest his key players against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night for fear of them becoming hurt ahead of next week's Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has already stated that his squad would watch the game together on television, hoping that Palace can deny the Gunners three points and bring the trophy to Anfield.
But Arteta, who is still hoping to finish second, has little interest in worrying about that because they are focused on another league win, which would extend their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 12 games.
"Our incentive will be to win the game and continue with the run we're in right now," added the captain. "The rest we can't control."
And he insists that the starting lineup will be solid since the risk of disrupting his players' flow is as high as their taking a knock. "We cannot think in those terms," he said. "When players are fit and available, they must be fit. They are at their finest when they play and deliver regular results.
"If they are unavailable, there is no discussion, or they are unable to perform. But if they are, we will play them. We have the players that we have.
Arsenal will face Palace for the third time in all competitions, having scored eight in the previous two meetings, and Arteta has downplayed concerns about star player Bukayo Saka's injury. The England attacker was forced to ice his ankle during Sunday's win against Ipswich Town, but he is unlikely to be off for long.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0