Mikel Arteta sends message to bruised Arsenal stars after painful Bournemouth defeat

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Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal stars to "stand up and go for the fight or you're out" after their loss to Bournemouth which blew the Premier League title race wide open.

The Gunners came into Saturday's lunchtime kick-off having lost two of their last three games, which had seen them miss out on the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup . Those defeats have ramped up the pressure but Arsenal failed to produce the desired response.

They fell behind early on against the Cherries, who took the lead for a second time through Alex Scott. His 74th minute strike would prove to be the winner as fans exited the Emirates before the final whistle.

Arteta is still trying to deliver the title in north London after a number of near misses. They have held a huge advantage but, despite being nine points clear, they could see Manchester City leapfrog them inside the next fortnight if results go against them.

The Spaniard has continued to face criticism for failing to get over the line and has told his Arsenal players to find the stomach for a difficult final stretch or face being dropped.

He told TNT Sports : "It has to hurt. They have to take it on the chin. You stand up and go for the fight or you're out. It's a big week. A lot at stake. We're still in a good position in both competitions."

Arsenal face City next weekend in a game that could well decide the destination of the title. Before that they have the second-leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Sporting Lisbon to think about. Pep Guardiola's side don't have such a distraction and have begun clicking into gear at the right time as they bid to overhaul Arsenal in another title race.

Bournemouth extended their unbeaten run to 12 games as they won at the Emirates for the second successive season, but Arteta admitted his side were not themselves.

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He said: "Disappointing. It's a big punch in the face and it's about how we react now. They are a team who haven't lost for 11 games for a reason, they did a lot right.

"We were far from efficient. The first chance they had to attack the box, it's a deflection, a bad defending action and it's a goal. That's something we have to recover from. The second half you expect a different game. We did a lot of strange things today. We have been very consistent. This can happen, this is football."

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