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The Gunners are looking to resuscitate their title hopes against Chelsea on Tuesday.
Arsenal were handed a brutal ‘reality check’ last week at the Etihad, getting smashed 4-1 by Manchester City, a match which prompted Mikel Arteta to admit that they were inferior 'in every department' against Pep Guardiola’s side.
"We deserved to lose the game and we have to move on, but I think it was a good reality check as well in the way that they stepped up the level and we could not reach that level," Arteta said ahead of tonight's clash with Chelsea.
"The reality check is as well that you have to step up to that level for 10 months, so we have to believe in what we do because we are so good as well.
“In sport you have to accept the reality, and when a team is able to take the game to a different level and you're not able to step up to that, you have to recognise that there is still work to do, not get confused, be very humble and recognise what our strengths are and what our weaknesses are to be better."
Since Pep Guardiola arrived in Manchester, he has delivered four Premier League titles in six seasons. The first one was delivered in sublime version as the club reached an all-time high 100 points in the 17/18 season.
The following season, they found more stiff competition in the form of Liverpool, who pushed them so much, they got 97 points but still failed to win the title by a point to City.
Arsenal have hit major strides this season and despite their title hopes quickly fading, they can still equal their highest Premier League points tally of 90 with five games of the season left.
“It takes time to build the perfect team. You don’t do it in one, two, three years. That’s seven years’ worth of process with a lot of good decisions and we are trying to do something different.”
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