Ex-Chelsea star John Obi Mikel lays into Mikel Arteta in brutal Pep Guardiola comparison

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Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has taken a swipe at Mikel Arteta , claiming the Arsenal boss is "rattled" and has "lost control of the dressing room". The Gunners have endured a torrid run of form in recent months.

Arteta's men were humbled 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City in March - stretching their wait for a first major trophy in six years. Arsenal then suffered an embarrassing FA Cup exit at Championship outfit Southampton before falling to a 2-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in the league.

The Gunners have stormed into the Champions League semi-finals for the second consecutive season - an achievement they have never previously accomplished in their entire history. Yet Sunday's 2-1 reversal at Manchester City now threatens to strip them of top spot in the Premier League , should Pep Guardiola's men take all three points against relegation-threatened Burnley on Wednesday night.

Obi Mikel has now suggested on the latest edition of the Obi One Podcast that Arteta is struggling to handle his side's dip in form. The former Nigeria international pointed to Arteta's comments and unconventional methods as telltale signs of mounting tension.

He said: "'I'm on fire. Bring it on.' That's the quote, isn't it? Every week he's coming out with a quote.

"One week, they're playing with a pen in the training ground, they have TikTok music playing. It's all going off with 'bring the lunch, bring the dinner.'

"Just calm down, mate, enjoy it, relax. You've worked so hard to be in this position, don't be rattled; he is rattled.

"I'm looking at the man, I'm looking at both sides, both managers, and you can tell. When you look at both managers right now, you can see who's been there, who's done it, the experience, the know-how, how to play down situations, how to control situations.

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"Both managers are dealing with it very, very differently. On one hand, you have a manager who's absolutely rattled. Who's lost his s***, who's lost the control of his dressing room. He looks tense. He looks, even when he tries to be calm, he's faking it, it's not natural."

Arsenal will be looking to bounce back on Saturday when they host Newcastle United (12:30pm BST). With City occupied in the FA Cup this weekend, the Gunners have the chance to stretch their lead to six points with victories over the Magpies and then Fulham the following week, before Guardiola's men feature again in the league.

Arteta remains firmly convinced that his squad can deliver Arsenal's first Premier League crown in 22 years.

Speaking after his side's defeat to City, he said: "The positive thing is we have seen the level, we can cope with that, and not just that but do even better.

"There are five games to go, but we're going to give a real go for it. We have full belief we can do it. Today we have shown the team that we are. It's still in our hands, and it's there for the taking.

"We were close, not close enough. But now we have to reset. We lost an opportunity today, a big one. But there is still another five to go. There are still a lot of positives today."

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