Arteta opens up on impact of Arsenal’s “draining, frustrating and painful” form

Mikel Arteta has admitted that Arsenal’s form in recent weeks has tested him to his fullest.

It comes just days after the win over Chelsea, which has staved off reports of the sack for a little while longer, at least.

The Gunners went into the match against their London rivals under huge pressure but they put on a hearty display to claim all three points.

But prior to that, Arsenal had not won in the Premier League since November 1.

Along the way, they had been beaten by the likes of Aston Villa, Burnley and Everton.

It had led to talk of a shock relegation battle while Arteta continued to persevere amid reports of discontent at the club.

And the Spaniard has admitted the toils of management have taken their toll on him during the past couple of months.

“Obviously results-wise in the last few weeks we have all been suffering, I have been suffering,” he said.

“I feel very responsible for that. The worst feeling is because I want to do so well for this football club and at the moment we are in, I want to bring all my passion, the knowledge that I have, the right intentions to move as quickly as we possibly can as a football club.

“In order to do that we need to win football matches, to be stable and win some time.

“When I don’t, I feel like I am letting the club down and the people that work for us, and obviously our fans.

“It is draining, it is frustrating and it is painful. At the same time I know we have to fight our way back.

“In difficult moments is when you see the right people, they give me a lot of encouragement because I see people that are willing to fight with me, with the people that we have here.

“It gives me energy every day to carry on doing it.”

Arsenal have the chance to show their result against Chelsea was not just a flash in the pan when they take Brighton on on Tuesday evening.

Despite the victory, the Gunners remain 15th in the table but a win could see them go as high as 12th.