come up. League-leading Arsenal, which hosts Crystal Palace, recently sacked Gunners legend Patrick Vieira.
Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal players to forget about exiting Europe as they aim to finish eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners lost to Sporting on Thursday’s penalty shootout after failing to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Attention has returned to domestic affairs, with Arsenal looking to make further progress at the summit.
With managerless Crystal Palace the Emirates Stadium visitors and closest title rivals Manchester City in FA Cup action, Arteta’s side could head into the international break with a healthy lead.
“I tried to give a lot of clarity in the dressing room,” Arteta said when asked how his players would not carry their disappointment in the Europa League into the title race.
“It was all a message: You have to accept it, swallow it, and learn from it, but now there’s no point in expending a little energy or thinking of taking anything away from Sunday.
To beat them in the Premier League against Palace, we need to give our best again and hope everyone recovers mentally and physically and is in top shape for the match.
Despite the European defeat, Arteta feels he learns more from adversity than from success as he aims to take positives from Sporting’s loss.
“I saw a lot on Thursday, especially when we were struggling with giving so many balls, they did it together,” he said.
“The way they reacted, how they conceded and how the game changed after that shows a lot of positive signs.”
“The downside of that is that we didn’t realize to win in the end, because in the end, I think we deserved to win it and go through. But it wasn’t enough, It was probably too late.
“Friday was all about getting the message out about the Palace game, lifting them up and making sure they’re there in the best possible shape.
Captain Martin Audegaard understands the coach’s sentiments and knows the players need to improve themselves if they are to deliver results against Palace.
“It’s very important,” he replied when asked about recovery.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves because the next match is coming soon. We need to recover and make sure we win.
“It’s good to be disappointed. You should feel disappointed. We have to make sure it’s just tonight and come in with a fresh mind ready to win on Sunday.”
