Arteta responds after Vieira doubts Arsenal mentality

Mikel Arteta told Arsenal they must show the mentality needed to win the Premier League after a tense 3-2 home loss to Manchester United, a match that ended with some fans booing at full-time and former captain Patrick Vieira questioning the team’s strength.

United sealed their first league win at Arsenal since 2017 when substitute Matheus Cunha struck in the 87th minute. The result left Arsenal four points clear of Manchester City and Aston Villa at the end of the weekend.

Arsenal went ahead in the first half when Lisandro Martinez turned the ball into his own net in the 29th minute. United levelled eight minutes later when a mistake from Martin Zubimendi handed Bryan Mbeumo the chance to score. Patrick Dorgu’s volley early in the second half put United in front, then Mikel Merino bundled in an equaliser in the 84th minute. Cunha’s late finish decided it.

Vieira told Sky Sports after the match that “there are still some questions about the mental strength of the team” as Arsenal chase their first league title since 2004. Arteta responded: “That’s fine. I mean, we accept every opinion, where it comes and where it’s coming from, and they will have the right reason to say it. At the end, we have to show the mental strength that we have on the pitch when it comes to a match day.

“We were absolutely brilliant in Milan [beating Inter 3-1 on Tuesday], and today we weren’t that good. I don’t know if it was mental, because of how much they played [in Italy], but because we were poor, especially technically in certain aspects of the game against a team that when you make those mistakes, they can punish you big time. That was the difference.”

Arteta brushed aside the boos from sections of the crowd, despite the defeat being Arsenal’s first since May 2025.

“It doesn’t matter,” Arteta said. “We have to do more, so maybe that’s not enough. We have to do more, there’s nothing else. We have to do our very best.

“When you do that, you can rest in peace. Today we really certainly tried to do our very best, but we weren’t efficient enough against a team that is very well organised, and we got punished because of our own mistakes as well.

“I think it’s the first time sitting here this season at home and we lost. It’s part of the journey to winning. If not, nobody will lose football matches. It’s how we react to that, and I am very convinced, because I know those players in the dressing them and how much we want it, that we’re going to react immediately.”

Arsenal next play Kairat Almaty on Wednesday in their final Champions League league phase match, already through to the last 16 and with the chance to complete a perfect head to head record with a win.