Watch Arsenal vs Chelsea - Arteta's first home game in charge - live on Super Sunday from 1pm; Kick-off 2pm
Sunday 29 December 2019 16:14, UK
New Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has outlined his blueprint to winning back the fans at the Emirates as he prepares for his first home match in charge.
Former Gunners midfielder Arteta takes his place in the dugout at the Emirates on Super Sunday against Chelsea, live on Sky Sports Premier League, and the Spaniard gave a fascinating insight into how he feels he can bring Arsenal back to the big time.
Here, outlining his plans with Sky Sports' Patrick Davison, Arteta talks identity, the non-negotiables, and whether Arsenal need to spend in January...
"We need to connect the team with the fans again, I sense in the last few seasons there has been a big disconnection, and we are losing a lot of power. I said before that they are probably the most important part of the football club, and we need to get them on board, we need to convince them, and we need to be able to transmit what we are trying to do with the team.
"Hopefully on Sunday they will start to see some things where they think: 'OK, I take this on board, I start to like a few things!' The process is going to take some time, but I hope we can start to engage them again.
"I think many things happened in the last two seasons that have a strong say on the situation right now. What we can do is to make sure every time they wear that shirt, every time they jump onto that pitch, they give absolutely everything, and they have to feel there is a sense of what we are trying to achieve.
"If the fans can see an identity close to what they are used to seeing with Arsenal, they will be on board."
"There are some non-negotiables. The demands we put on the team, the commitment, the energy we put in, that dominance. We are the biggest football club in England, and we have to play a little bit with that arrogance, that belief. This stadium has to create fear again. I used to hate coming here as an opponent, and we need to use that power. The opponent must be uncomfortable playing here. We need to recover here.
"It was incredible to play here as an Arsenal player. It's one of the most beautiful, exciting stadiums in the world. When this crowd gets going, and you feel them right behind the team, it's an incredible place.
"The moment you jump into this football club, you feel the pressure attached to playing here. The demands is to win, win trophies, to win every three days, be better than your opponents. Those are the standards here, and it can't be anything different. It doesn't matter what happened in the past.
"When you have the crowd with you, it's confidence, it's belief, you feel protected. You take the handbrake down, and you feel the gas coming out of your veins. You feel big. You can control the situation.
"This club deserves nothing else but excellence. It deserves the best every single day. Everyone who jumps through that door needs to realise that is what we're going to be requiring."
"It's going to be a long process, a lot of things have to be done right. The margin for error at the moment is very, very short because the gap is getting bigger and bigger. So we need to make a lot of good decisions.
"[It's about] clarity. You need a direction, you need a vision, and you need action. And everybody on board has to believe that direction is going to make us successful. If people are starting to doubt the process, because of one result, two results, or we made a little mistake here, you have to be ruthless. Believe it, and go, put your foot on the gas and go and go and go.
"People have to understand that there is this way, and no other way. There are some things non-negotiable. That is the organisation and structure. Within that organisation you have freedom. But if somebody doesn't know how to live within these parameters, at this level, it won't work.
"What I have seen is that the players are on board, are willing to be helped, are willing to make sacrifices, and are willing to follow us. They are showing me every time, they want more, want more, and that's a very good signal."
"We need players back from injuries, first of all, to be more solid, more compact. And then we might need to do one or two things if the right players become available, to help us. But at the moment I am more concerned with getting the maximum out of the players available to us."
Arsenal vs Chelsea is live on Super Sunday from 1pm; kick-off 2pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app.
Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.
