Mikel Arteta has rubbished suggestions Arsenal have been ‘figured out’ in recent weeks and insists his side have been dealing with defensive opponents since the start of the season.

Everton and Brentford both enjoyed success with their gameplans (Picture: Arsenal Player)

The Gunners lost their place at the summit of the Premier League table after a 3-1 defeat at home to Manchester City on Wednesday night – though they can reclaim top spot, albeit briefly, if they beat Aston Villa in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

After a superb first half of the season, Arsenal have hit a rare slump in form and are winless in four matches, having also lost to City in the FA Cup, suffered defeat at Goodison Park against Everton and dropped points in controversial fashion at home to Brentford.

There are now suggestions that the compact and defensive setups employed by Everton and Brentford have established something of a blueprint for stifling Arsenal, with both sides profiting from a physical approach and runners from midfield.

But Arteta is not worried by suggestions that teams have worked out how to frustrate the Gunners and says his side have been dealing with similar approaches all season long.

Everton’s physical, counter-attacking strategy worked well against Arsenal (Getty)

Asked if he is worried that teams have ‘figured out’ Arsenal recently, the Spaniard hit back: ‘Well, how many low blocks have we faced this season?

‘Sixteen low blocks we have faced this season. So we have won a lot of those games. We have merited at the end of the game to win most of those games.

‘But then it’s about the efficiency. When they block everything and the ball doesn’t go in the net, it’s great if you win 2-0, then you have played the low block really, really well.

‘So always it is going to depend on certain things, there are always things that we have to improve and our efficiency in the box has not been as good as it was when we were winning football matches and tomorrow we will have to be really high to beat them.’

Asked if he is confident his side can handle the pressure of the title race, Arteta replied: ‘Well you have to.

‘At some stage, if you want to be at the top, you have to do it. Looking at what they did the other day, it gives me a lot of encouragement to think that they are ready.’

On Arsenal’s blip in form, he added: ‘It’s normal. Obviously you want to get maximum points and we didn’t in the last three games.

‘We have to look at ourselves, we have to be more efficient with the amount of play and situations we generated. We haven’t enough points and that’s down to us and we have to improve that because we want to win more games.’

Source: dailylifeworld.com