Mikel Arteta tells Arsenal stars to handle "noise" or find another club

The Gunners head into the North London derby atop the table, two points clear of Manchester City, but their recent form has raised concerns. Arsenal have won just two of their last seven league games and surrendered a 2-0 lead to draw with bottom-of-the-table Wolves midweek, prompting accusations of being "bottlers" - a word Arteta rejected outright.

"You ask them the question: 'Do you want to be part of the noise, or not?' If not, go and do something else. Be part of a different club, or do you want to be at Arsenal?" Arteta said. "Everybody has been demanding for 10 years, 15 years that we need to go back there (fighting for the title), and now we are there. And now what? You don't want noise? Noise is part of it, and the bullets are part of that. We try to deal with it in the right way and achieve what we are looking for."

Arsenal, chasing their first league crown since Arsene Wenger's 'Invincibles' in 2003-04, have finished second in each of the last three campaigns, twice behind City and last season to Liverpool. Arteta stressed that his players must focus on what they can control: winning the next match.

Injury concerns continue to affect the squad. Captain Martin Odegaard has played just 45 minutes across Arsenal's last five games due to multiple injuries, limiting his impact on a campaign where he has scored only once. "The percentage of time he has been available for us has been far from ideal," Arteta admitted. "Injuries are the worst part of our profession. With us having a lot of important players out, the team has done extremely well to maintain that level."

Tottenham, meanwhile, are struggling under interim boss Igor Tudor, who has promised supporters a fresh approach despite their poor league position. Arteta's side will hope to capitalize on their rival's instability and reinforce their title credentials in what is shaping up to be a decisive clash at the top of the table." 

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