Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal players not to become complacent when they face Fleetwood Town, the lowest-ranked team left in the Carabao Cup. Fleetwood sit 18th in League Two and host the Gunners on Tuesday night in the fourth round, looking to pull off a massive shock.
Arteta, however, has urged his players to show Fleetwood the maximum respect by maintaining their performance levels throughout the match. The Spaniard expects his pre-match team talk to be a simple one at Highbury Stadium.
“Show them the Arsenal shirt and what we represent and that’s it,” Arteta said. “We need to go there and win the game. That’s it. It’s very simple.”
“Our reputation, our pride, everything is in play. So every time you play a football match and especially against a team in a different division, respect the game, respect every opponent because they deserve that.”
“Then try to win and try to play a bit better than them.”
A Reminder From 2012
Arteta was part of the Arsenal squad in 2012 when Arsene Wenger’s side suffered one of the biggest upsets in the competition’s history. The Gunners were beaten on penalties by Bradford in the quarter-finals, a result that serves as a reminder of what can happen when Arsenal do not arrive with the right attitude.
“We all had one at some stage and we know the risk,” Arteta said.
“In football, things can get very equal the moment you are able to match certain things.”
“That’s when our basics and habits have to be through the roof to be able to win the game.”