Arsenal: Mikel Arteta says 'nicest part' of Premier League season to come

The Premier League title race is "not over" and Arsenal still have the "nicest part of the season" to come, says manager Mikel Arteta.

On Sunday the Gunners lost top spot to Manchester City, who beat them 4-1 on Wednesday and hold a one-point advantage with a game in hand.

Arsenal have spent 247 days at the top this season compared to City's 16.

Arteta said Arsenal, who are without a win in four games, want to "put things right" at home to Chelsea on Tuesday.

"We can still achieve the Premier League because there are five games to go and a lot of things are going to happen still," he said.

"When I look at it, this is not over.

"It is not in our hands any more. What is in our hands is to try to win the games we have left and the rest is down to City.

"I have not had to pick up the mood of the players. They keep the fire in the belly.

"What we have to do is forget about what happened last week, learn from it and move on into the next game."

Brighton's defeat by Nottingham Forest on Wednesday sealed Arsenal's place in the Champions League next season for the first time since 2016-17.

Arteta said: "I am incredibly proud and thankful to everyone who has contributed to bringing Champions League football back to this club.

"So congratulations, but also thank you for still being upset and accepting that the Champions League is not enough and we want more."

Arsenal, who have not won the title since 2004, will again be without France centre-back William Saliba against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.

The 22-year-old has not played for more than a month because of a back injury which Arteta says has "not improved at all" over the past week.

'Arsenal now have a clear identity'

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard says the progress made by Arsenal under Arteta this season is reward for the club showing patience with the Spaniard even when results were not going their way early in his tenure - something he believes the Blues could take inspiration from.

"There is a long process in terms of getting to where you want to get to. I remember going up against Mikel in that early stage," said Lampard.

"Sometimes they played five at the back, sometimes four; now they have a clear identity. There has been a lot of work through the team, Mikel, alignment and good recruitment. Do we have the possibility to do that? Yes. Will it take time and good decisions? Absolutely, yes. But you can get there.

"The manager was being questioned, the players and owners were and that process can take two or three years. They are a great example of that done well."

Chelsea will have forwards Kai Havertz, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Fofana fit and available for Tuesday's game against the Gunners.

Former Arsenal striker Aubameyang has scored just three goals in 20 appearances this season and has not started a game since January, but Lampard says the motivation of facing his old club means he is contention.

"I think we all think sometimes a player going back to their old club gives them certain motivation," added the former Everton boss.

"I haven't delved into that too much with Auba himself. I'll pick that position on feeling, my feeling of how they trained and what the team structure looks like."

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