Mikel Arteta name-drops Emile Smith Rowe and says he 'changed something' at Arsenal

In what turned out to be a masterstroke, Mikel Arteta whisked his Arsenal squad off to Dubai during a bleak spell last season, sparking a remarkable turnaround with five consecutive Premier League victories.

Now, amidst another rut in form, the Gunners look to relaunch their title aspirations at Stamford Bridge — a place fondly etched in Arteta’s memory due to Arsenal’s strong track record under his leadership.

In what was a rare display of humour, the Arsenal boss quipped that he’d have faced the sack if he allowed his stars to go on the lash in Las Vegas last season last season and returned to lose two matches.

But more importantly, Arteta has an impressive unbeaten streak at Chelsea and an envious track record against the Blues, marred by only a single loss in their last 10 encounters. Wins include the pivotal 2020 FA Cup final triumph and a Boxing Day victory in the same year which ended a woeful spell of just two wins in eight matches.

“There have been a few favourite moments,” Arteta reminisced. “One of those was in a difficult moment. It was December [2020] when Emile Smith Rowe came in and I think he changed something.

“It was a moment that we really needed to win to stay at the level, we dealt with that pressure then. Yeah, there have been some nice moments.”

Arsenal are now desperately seeking to bounce back to form in their fourth away match on the bounce, aiming to rediscover their scoring touch which has eluded them on the road in the league since a 2-2 stalemate with Manchester City back in September.

Arsenal face a critical point in their season, with Arteta aware that the outcome of tomorrow’s game could dramatically influence their title hopes.

If results go against them, they could fall significantly behind Liverpool and Manchester City. However, a victory coupled with slip-ups from their rivals could see Arsenal leapfrog Chelsea, now under the guidance of former Pep Guardiola aide Enzo Maresca, and re-enter the title race.

When quizzed on if one victory could change things, he replied: “Everything?! I don’t know! Winning is the best formula for everything – for energy, belief, for confidence, for the noise inside and outside, to create momentum, to generate positive surroundings. It helps for everything, even if you don’t deserve it.”

The Arsenal manager also mentioned the importance of Martin Odegaard’s return to fitness, heralding his impact by saying: “We hope that is going to help because he’s been incredibly good for us.”

Comparing the current campaign to last season’s lull before the January break, Arteta insisted on the progress made: “The team is doing 10 times better things than we used to do in that period. That’s the positive thing. For all this to be clear and relevant we have to win. Especially to answer certain questions.”

Arteta also recalled the crucial turn-around after last season’s mid-term trip to Dubai — a decision that proved hugely beneficial as opposed to the hypothetical alternative of a raucous week off in Las Vegas.

“We don’t know where that clicked,” he reflected humorously. “Because if instead of going to Dubai, we would have given them a week off and you see the team in Las Vegas for one week, smashing the night. We come back the following week and we lose two games in a row. I am in my house, I am sacked!”.