Mikel Arteta is bracing himself for protests against Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke outside the Emirates on Friday night and conceded: “The fans are free to express themselves.”
But the Gunners boss wants his players to focus on leapfrogging his former club Everton after a turbulent week when fans sent “probably the strongest message in world football” to sink the Super League at launch.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright joined the chorus against the club's American billionaire owner, tweeting “#KroenkeOut.”
Arteta, however, prefers to keep his players' minds on the long shot of a top-four finish and next week's Europa League semi-final against his predecessor Unai Emery's Villareal.
Asked if the lingering ill-feeling cold be a distraction, despite Arsenal apologising to their supporters after abandoning the project, Arteta said: "I will try to prepare the team in the best possible way so that isn't the case.
"We know that we might have a situation outside the stadium because our fans want to express their feelings, and they made it loud and clear they weren't having it.
“But our job is to try to make the team as focused as possible to perform on the pitch.
"I am getting used to it, since I joined it has been a rollercoaster and more things have happened in those 18 months than probably in the last 20 years.
"We need to win every game now in the Premier League to give us the best possible chance to be in Europe next season through that competition."
At a heated fans forum, attended remotely by Kroenke's son Josh, an Arsenal director, and chief executive Vinai Venkatesham, tempers ran high.
But Kroenke insists his father has no intention of selling the club, the board has plans to invest substantially – but admitted the Arsenal had “got it wrong” by signing up for the Super League.
Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.
