'No fear, pure fire!' - Mikel Arteta rallies Arsenal before crucial run-in

The Gunners host Sporting CP on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, holding a 1-0 advantage from Lisbon, before travelling to Manchester City on Sunday in a potentially title-defining Premier League clash.

Arsenal arrive under pressure after losing three of their last four matches in all competitions, including defeats in the Carabao Cup final to Manchester City, the FA Cup to Southampton, and a Premier League loss to Bournemouth. Their lead at the top has been cut to six points, with City holding a game in hand.

Despite the dip, Arteta struck a defiant tone when asked what message he wanted to send.

"No fear, pure fire. That's it," he said. "That's what I want to see from the players, the people, myself. The opportunity is unbelievable. Let's confront it, let's go for it and put everything into it."

He doubled down on his own mindset going into the week.

"Fire. I'm on fire. That's it. Nothing else," he added. "I've done so much to be in this position. I see beauty and opportunity. I want to get it done for all the people on the journey with us. I have zero fear. Now it's just purpose, fire and direction."

Arteta also stressed the challenge facing Arsenal as they chase history.

"We are trying to do something in this competition that hasn't been done in the history of the club," he said. "That tells you the difficulty. The beauty of it is that it's difficult."

He added: "For other clubs this is the daily meal. For us, no. So we value a lot where we are. We have an opportunity to go to the semifinals, we are competing to win the Premier League and we are in a really strong position after 22 years without doing it. So we know the difficulty but the beauty is that it is difficult."

Forward Eberechi Eze backed his manager's message, praising his intensity and belief.

"The boss speaks well, he is passionate, and you can see the fire he has in his eyes and mind, and that has been pushed throughout the whole club," he said. "Regardless of what people are saying outside, it is about us and what we do, and that is all that matters."

Arteta faces uncertainty over several key players, with Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori all missing Tuesday's training session.

"We have to wait until tomorrow morning to see how a few of the boys are, and then make the right decision with them," Arteta said. "He has played a lot of games, and that is part of the issue. He is going to try to do everything he possibly can to be with us tomorrow evening."

While he suggested one of Saka or Timber could still feature against Sporting, final decisions will depend on late fitness checks.

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