05:00, 21 Feb 2026<\/p>\n
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Both Mikel Arteta and Eberechi Eze are desperate for the crown(Image: David Price, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Arsenal face what could prove to be their most crucial fixtures of the season with this weekend’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur<\/a>, as their position at the Premier League<\/a> summit comes under threat.<\/p>\n The Gunners’ Premier League<\/a> lead is at risk after conceding a 94th-minute leveller against Wolves<\/a> on Wednesday, ending the match 2-2. That setback has given Manchester City<\/a> the chance to narrow the deficit at the top to just two points when they host Newcastle United<\/a> on Saturday evening.<\/p>\n Arsenal’s <\/a>match won’t kick off until Sunday afternoon, meaning Pep Guardiola’s<\/a> side could pile the pressure on before the derby, turning it into a must-win encounter against Tottenham<\/a>. Despite this, Mikel Arteta<\/a> has called upon his squad to channel the “pain” from the Wolves result as motivation in their pursuit of the Premier League<\/a> title.<\/p>\n He said: “We need to go through the pain and go through it looking in the mirror and understand what the game requires now and the next action is Sunday.<\/p>\n Ensure our latest football headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate<\/a> or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.<\/strong><\/p>\n “We need to keep all that in our tummies to show it on Sunday.”<\/p>\n Here, football.london<\/strong> has all the latest coming out of the Emirates Stadium.<\/p>\n Mikel Arteta exit prediction made Mikel Arteta could leave Arsenal if he doesn’t win the Premier League(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA, Getty Images)<\/p>\n Alan Shearer has suggested Mikel Arteta’s future at Arsenal could be in jeopardy should the club fail to secure the Premier League crown this season. While the Gunners have spent much of the 2025\/26 campaign at the top, recent stumbles have enabled City to narrow the gap at the top.<\/p>\n The former England captain still backs Arsenal to finish first come May, though he acknowledges the challenge ahead. Speaking on the Rest Is Football<\/a> podcast, he said: “They’ll probably still win it, just.<\/p>\n “I never expected Arsenal to do it the easy way, I always knew there were going to be bumps and everything else, nervy times.<\/p>\n “People are going to be chucking questions and bombs and you have to get over that. I did expect this to happen. Let’s see what they are made of.<\/p>\n FOLLOW OUR ARSENAL FB PAGE! Latest Gunners news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n “If he doesn’t win the league he might not be at Arsenal. After the chances they have had to win it and finishing second, with what they have spent on the players they have got and the positions they are in, they have to win it.”<\/p>\n On the subject of the upcoming north London derby, Shearer reckons the timing couldn’t be better for the Gunners. He added: “I think if you need a game after what has happened then it is not a bad one to have in your local rivals.<\/p>\n “I know they have a new manager and it is away, but what a response it would be to go and win at Tottenham at the weekend.”<\/p>\n Eberechi Eze’s Arteta verdict Eze needs to be at his best for the rest of the season(Image: Michael Regan, Getty Images)<\/p>\n Eberechi Eze has revealed he felt no apprehension about rejoining Arsenal last summer, crediting a productive discussion with Mikel Arteta for easing any concerns. Speaking to Men in Blazers<\/a>, the 27-year-old explained he was already familiar with his new boss and relished the prospect of being coached by him.<\/p>\n Eze said: “I spoke to him previously so I already knew the type of character he was and it was very cool. So I knew that’s the type of conversation I could have.”<\/p>\n Highlighting Arteta’s qualities, he added: “He’s an honest guy, he’s straight, he says it how it is. If I’m honest, I wasn’t too nervous.”<\/p>\n The Gunners will be hoping Eze can deliver his finest performances during the crucial title race, having managed four goals and two assists across 21 Premier League outings since his return to the Emirates.<\/p>\n Join our Arsenal WhatsApp channel and get all the latest breaking news, opinion, podcasts and in-depth stories from football.london’s dedicated Arsenal writers straight to your phone!<\/p>\n By following this free service you will be the first to know the news from the Emirates Stadium as it happens, when it happens.<\/p>\n To join our dedicated Arsenal channel, all you have to do is click this link<\/a> <\/strong>and you can join thousands of others following our Gunners coverage!<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Mikel](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0_MA.jpg\")
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