Mikel Arteta admits he will resort to ‘praying’ in the Premier League title race as Arsenal fall nine points behind leaders Liverpool… and calls on his players to ‘show their teeth’ in a bizarre DISNEYLAND analogy

Mikel Arteta admits he will resort to ‘praying’ in Arsenal‘s mission to overturn Liverpool‘s nine-point lead at the Premier League summit as his side’s winless streak continued at Chelsea.

Having taken the lead through Gabriel Martinelli, the Gunners let their advantage slip after Pedro Neto slammed home a bullet equaliser to leave Arsenal without a top-flight victory in their previous four matches.

The start of Arsenal’s season has been ravaged by injury, compounded further yesterday as Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka both limped off – though captain Martin Odegaard started his first game in six weeks following an ankle injury.

And when asked about the nine point gap to Liverpool – who stretchered their lead at the top of the table this weekend after Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea all failed to win – Arteta replied: ‘There’s nothing that we can do about that. What I’m praying is that after the international break we have the team fully physically equipped.

‘That they are available and that they are fit, because, it’s been a nightmare for eight weeks. Doubt after doubt, issue after issue, not only with the ones that are not able to play, but with the ones who are able to play only for certain moments and not able to play.

He watched his side take a second-half lead at Chelsea thanks to a Gabriel Martinelli goal

Arteta’s injury woes look to have deepened, with both Buyako Saka and Declan rice limping off 

‘So I’m just asking that, because the desire the team has and how much we want it there’s no question. It’s going to come. We just need that on our side to be more consistent.

‘When it gets nasty, show your teeth and show how much you want it. When it’s Disneyland it’s very easy. Everybody’s next to you, telling you how beautiful you are.

‘When it gets dark and difficult and everybody’s questioning it, that’s when I want to see people. I’m looking around.’

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca insists he has no issues with Noni Madueke after the winger, clearly miffed, stormed down the tunnel after being substituted in the second half.

‘The problem is that when you change a player, they are never happy,’ the Italian said.

‘Probably the only time he would be happy was at Wolves, he scored a hat trick and we changed him. It was a tactical decision, no more than that.’

Arteta (right) wants his team to rally, while Enzo Maresca (left) calmed Madueke speculation

Maresca said there was no Madueke issue, who stormed down the tunnel after substitution

Maresca said there’s an injury concern over Cole Palmer (left) who ‘was in pain’ after the game

Maresca also disclosed that Cole Palmer, who was doubt for the game, finished the game in pain – news that will concern England interim head coach Lee Carsley, who is facing up to a raft of pull-outs ahead of the games versus Greece and Ireland this week.

Palmer, Saka, Rice, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dominic Solanke are all injury concerns ahead of the squad meeting up at St George’s Park on Monday.