Arteta wants Arsenal to show ‘character’ after Villa shocker

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta urged his wounded Arsenal stars to show character and leadership after their Premier League title challenge suffered a hammer blow in Sunday's 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa.

Arteta's side would have gone back to the top of the table with a victory at the Emirates Stadium. But instead, Arsenal were beaten for the first time in 12 league games as two goals in the last six minutes from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins rocked their title dreams. The second-placed Gunners are two points behind leaders Manchester City with six games left.

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Facing the prospect of blowing the lead in the title race for a second successive campaign, Arteta issued a plea for his team to stick together. "That is the reality right now. We knew this moment could come. Now it is about reacting in the right way and keep believing," he said.

"Now is the moment to stand up as leaders and show character. We don't have any other solution. When you win and win and win, it is easy. Now is a big test for us. "If you want to win the Premier League and Champions League, you have to stand up," Arteta added. City will lift an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title if they win their remaining games.

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