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Arteta eyes Arsenal FA Cup run in bid to foster winning culture

Mikel Arteta wants to use a run in the FA Cup to foster an ‘addiction’ to winning at Arsenal — and believes success in the competition will be key to rebuilding broken relationships with their fanbase.

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Arteta is ready to make his mark

They entertain Leeds on Monday night with their Premier League campaign in an abysmal mess, so the onus increases on protracted involvement in the FA Cup.

While Leeds could justifiably see the Cup as a distraction from their prime aim of promotion to the top flight and can be expected to field a weakened side, Arteta has talked up its importance.

Arteta, who won the FA Cup twice as an Arsenal player, including the 2014 triumph that ended an nine-year wait for silverware, drew a parallel between the unease of that era under Arsene Wenger and the club’s current situation.

He said: ‘When I arrived here (in 2011), obviously we were trying to fight for the Premier League abut we did not have the level to compete and sustain it. So the cups become important and obviously this club has a massive history with that. But then we’d had years without winning absolutely anything.

‘For us to lift that FA Cup was a massive relief. It generated good belief and unity around our team and helped that group of players to achieve what they achieved later when they won other cups.

‘I think winning brings togetherness and when you have beautiful experiences together and you win trophies then those experiences stay within that group.

‘You like more the people that you work with, you believe more in them, you share some fantastic moments and that habit of winning, winning, winning … after you win, you don’t want to stop winning.

‘You become addicts to that and that’s what we have to try to implement at this football club.’

On the mission to reunite the fans with the club via a Cup run, Arteta said: ‘When you take the fans to Wembley, it’s a different scenario, they are proud of it, it’s a special day, they travel with their families, they are looking for success again for this football club.

‘They are used to that, there’s a history related to that. I think it generates something special.’

The Spaniard admitted he will be unable to fulfil his ambitions at Arsenal if he fails to get the fans onside. ‘No, it’s impossible,’ he said.

‘It’s too powerful. With the fanbase we have, with our history and how much these people have been with this football club, if we get that connected, it’s powerful. Without that, I think it’s impossible.’

Meanwhile, Leeds star Ezgjan Alioski has dismissed suggestions that Arsenal are resurgent under Arteta and belittled their win over Manchester United.

‘Yes, I saw the result versus Manchester United but this Manchester United from this year — even we can beat them,’ Alioski quipped.

The North Macedonia international does not lack confidence and, as if to emphasise the point, he suggested the third-round tie would soon become run of the mill for the current Championship leaders.

‘If we are in the Premier League, Leeds is going to be one of the biggest clubs, like I know they were before,’ he added. ‘Of course, it’s a big game. I like to play this game. Maybe it’s one of the biggest but I don’t see it making me nervous to think that. I hope I can have mostly bigger games than this.’

Read Also:FA Cup: Arteta warns Arsenal players ahead of Leeds clash

Some might view the FA Cup as a distraction for a club aiming to end a 16-year exile from the top flight, particularly given their near-miss last season. But Alioski countered: ‘No, it’s a game. Only the name changes, to cup and not league.

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