Arsenal players enjoying challenge of changing mentality - Arteta

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London, July 21: Mikel Arteta is convinced Arsenal’s squad are embracing the challenge of changing the mentality in the club but says players must motivate themselves to be successful in the long term.

Questions over the Gunners' mental strength have often been raised and Arteta saw his side come in for heavy criticism following defeats to Manchester City and Brighton and Hove Albion upon the Premier League's resumption last month.

Since then, though, the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in the north London derby is Arsenal's only reverse in their past eight matches across all competitions.

A 2-1 triumph over Premier League champions Liverpool was followed by a disciplined and committed 2-0 win over City in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday and when asked if there has been a change in mentality, Arteta replied: "I try to convince them that without that we cannot compete with the top teams at the moment.

"There are other areas that we have to improve a lot but if we are willing to do that throughout the game then we are going to give ourselves a big, big chance.

"We have big moments in every game where we have enough players to make a difference for us. The trick here is they are really enjoying doing that.

"If they do it because we have to push them all the time to do it, for me it's not the right way and we're not going to accomplish it long time.

"If they start to enjoy doing it together, feel proud of it, they can see the results and they can sense that unity and that togetherness then it's powerful. Hopefully we can do that.

"That takes some time and training as well and training is not one of the things we had the most since I arrived with the schedule for December, January, February and then with the lockdown.

"We will improve on those areas as well and be more comfortable and better, I'm sure. How far and how quickly is the question in every process but I will do my best to do it as quick as possible."

Arsenal have at times in the past been perceived as somewhat of a soft touch but Arteta believes they are heading in the right direction to change how they are viewed from the outside.

"It's one of the basics that we have to be one of the best at doing it. That criticism is sometimes fair, sometimes it's not," he added.

"When you win obviously everything is positive. Doing very similar performances and you lose, the perception is different. But it is about what we are feeling and how we want to do it. I think that process in that sense is going in the right direction.

"I think it's in everybody's nature. Players and managers, you look at the opposition before games and you look at all the beautiful and great things they do.

"As a manager sometimes we look and think oh no, if they do that, we're not going to be able to control that. That worry and uncertainty, I think it's always there.

"That's why for me it's so important that at least if you know the people around you are going to be doing and you have zero doubts about how they can do that together. That gives you a lot of security before going into the game."

David Luiz was among those to receive the most vocal criticism after his performance in a 3-0 defeat to City, though he has silenced his detractors with a string of impressive performances of late, not least at Wembley on Saturday.

But Arteta does not think this sudden upturn is to do with trying to prove people wrong.

"I think when people criticise you they are probably fair or right to do so. It happens with me I'm sure when I make decisions or get something wrong – it's part of the game," he said.

"Individual errors you can see them in every single game. That's going to have an opinion and now with the media that we have around us it makes it even higher. But it's about bouncing back.

"In football what you did last week – unfortunately or fortunately – it doesn't matter, it's what's going to happen in the next game. That's the mentality you have to have.

"You start to look too much about what happened before, you tend to look more at the negative as well and I think that's a really bad thing for yourself to do.

"David has that character as well that he can face it, he's happy to face it, happy to tell the world when he feels that way. I'm really glad that everybody can see the other side of it."