Daijiworld Media Network - London

London, Feb 25: In a bold statement at his press conference, Arteta declared, "Over my dead body will we give up on the title race. If not, I will go home. Mathematically it is still possible. You are there, and you have to play every game. Just three days ago, we were in a position to close the gap, and now we’re just one and a half games away. It doesn’t matter. We have to keep going."

Acknowledging the growing challenge, Arteta emphasized the magnitude of the task at hand. "The difficulty is much higher now, but to win the Premier League, you have to do something special. With the circumstances we face, if we are to win the title, we will have to accomplish something no one else has done in Premier League history."

Arsenal’s task has been made even harder by a series of injuries, including to key players like Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli. With limited attacking options, Arteta was forced to play summer signing Mikel Merino at striker during the West Ham match, despite Merino having no prior experience in the position. This came after Merino had impressed in a previous appearance, scoring twice off the bench against Leicester.

Reflecting on the defeat, Arteta expressed frustration but acknowledged the team's consistency prior to the setback. "It was a very disappointing weekend. In the previous 15 games, we had won 10 and drawn 5, with the same goal difference as Liverpool. We've been extremely consistent over the past three months, considering everything we've been through. We built momentum, and now we must bounce back."

With a crucial match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Thursday, Arsenal’s quest for the title remains mathematically possible, but Arteta knows it will require an extraordinary effort to overcome the current deficit.