Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains defiant in Premier League title chase despite falling 11 points behind Liverpool, insisting his team will continue fighting "over my dead body."
The Gunners suffered a setback last weekend with a 1-0 defeat to West Ham at Emirates Stadium, further widening the gap with Arne Slot's league-leading Liverpool side.
"If you are going to win the Premier League with the circumstances we have, you will probably have to do something that nobody else has done in the history of the Premier League," Arteta said, acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge ahead.
History suggests the task is daunting—only three teams in Premier League history have overcome a deficit of 11 points or more to claim the championship. However, Arsenal still hold a game in hand against Liverpool and will face them directly at Anfield on May 10.
When asked if he would concede the title race, Arteta responded emphatically: "Over my dead body. If not I will go home."
The Spanish manager pointed to his team's impressive recent form before the West Ham defeat, noting: "The previous 15 games we had won 10 and drawn five - exactly the same as Liverpool with exactly the same goal difference. So we have been extremely consistent over the past three months considering everything we have been through."
Arsenal's title pursuit has been complicated by injuries to key attacking players including Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz, and Gabriel Martinelli. Arteta believes these absences contributed to their defeat against West Ham.
"When you are trying to build that momentum, and we put so much into it with the circumstances that we have, it was a really hard one to take," Arteta added, reflecting on the loss that came as Liverpool continued their winning ways.
Despite the growing challenge, Arsenal's manager remains committed to pursuing what would be a historic comeback in the Premier League title race.
